Back in Texas that is. It was a long trip and an even longer bit of vacation I just took, but it's good to be back home in Texas. What makes it even better is going from 50 and raining in Vermont 6 days ago to 85 and sunny. You can't really beat that.
I made a few stops along the way... And, a lot has happened since my last post, but I'll keep it fairly simple here.
2010 Capital Open Sectionals...
Some pics of me here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Although I'm not doing much in those pictures.. we did go on to take 6th place and make Regionals (and, I'm damn intense in those shots...). You'll see that I'm taking some video in one of those pics, so I'll have some video to upload here pretty soon.
We ended up going in to Regionals seeded 13th overall (of 16 teams). Our play at Regionals earned us a tie for 9th place and we came away with 2 pretty nice wins and a pair of close losses. Video to come from that as well...
On my way down to Texas I stopped at the Georgia Guidestones. They are an interesting monument, and you can read about that in the Wired article I linked to there. If you have a moment you should definitely take a look. The story was compelling enough to send me a few hours out of my way to stay at a hotel in Elberton, GA to make a quick stop at the stones. My pics are on Facebook....
Well that's a quick update... If you're a fan of Linkin Park or just hip hop/rap in general you should check out Fort Minor. I know I'm a little late to the party, but it's good stuff.
See ya!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wildwood 2010
Over 400 Ultimate teams competed this weekend in various 2-2 and 3-1 division for a shot at a Wildwood Cup. Last year "Stillerman's Beach Blokes" went 5-2 to win the Merlot Division and come away with a 3rd tier trophy only losing to eventual 1st and 2nd tier finalists. Our most recent incarnation of the team, "Assume the Wurst," prepared for a similar run at a cup and had high expectations for the weekend.
In case you're interested our past Wildwood team names and outfits were:
2007 - Red Delicious (Red shirts, Rad mustaches)
2008 - Donk-a-phant Dance Party (All plaid)
2009 - Stillerman's Beach Blokes (Union Jack)
2010 - Assume the Wurst (liederhosen/suspenders)
Normally there isn't much to talk about before the tournament begins on Saturday, but this year was an exception. I won't go into too many details, but I will point out that camping turned out to be a terrible idea this year. We had 10 people trying to fit into an 8-person tent in 85-90 degree nighttime temperatures. I would be very surprised if anyone managed more than an hour of good sleep that night. Around 4 in the morning a group of 4 (me included) decided it would be best to get to a WaWa and rehydrate for the morning's games. We ended up picking up an extra hour of sleep in the car's A/C out in the parking lot. A hotel was booked first thing Saturday morning.
Our pool for Saturday looked particularly nasty. We had last years champs (Rabs), a team of DC players we knew were very good (Hennessey, they ended up in the 2-2 finals this year), and an unknown to play. We finished the pool 1-2 with losses to the bigger teams and a solid performance over the 3rd. There were huge layout scores and d's during all three games and we came out of the pool knowing we had something to prove (and knowing that this had to be one of the harder pools in the tournament).
Our crossover on Saturday was probably one of our best games all weekend. We were all fired up and ready to get a convincing win moving into Sunday's play. That's exactly what we did as Broaddus, Dave, Huldah, and Jim all played out of their minds and led us to a huge victory.
Saturday night was a welcome change from Friday. Air conditioned hotel rooms and cold showers were much needed after one of the hottest Wildwood's I've been to. Although I know we all wanted to get out to the shore and hit the clubs for some fist pumping, the sleep came pretty quickly for all of us.
Sunday morning was great. We didn't have a game until 11, and we really acted like it when we rolled out of bed in the morning. Everyone seemed refreshed from actually getting a full night's worth of sleep, and we were happy to have the time for breakfast and pre-game shopping for Gatorades (because the tourney provides Powerade which tastes like swamp water...). Anyway, just to finish this post (since I started it 6 days ago and got too busy to finish), I'm going to pass along a short video from the tourney. We ended up 3-3 on the weekend with a 1-1 day on Sunday. Overall I think we had a bunch of fun! Enjoy the clip!
In case you're interested our past Wildwood team names and outfits were:
2007 - Red Delicious (Red shirts, Rad mustaches)
2008 - Donk-a-phant Dance Party (All plaid)
2009 - Stillerman's Beach Blokes (Union Jack)
2010 - Assume the Wurst (liederhosen/suspenders)
Normally there isn't much to talk about before the tournament begins on Saturday, but this year was an exception. I won't go into too many details, but I will point out that camping turned out to be a terrible idea this year. We had 10 people trying to fit into an 8-person tent in 85-90 degree nighttime temperatures. I would be very surprised if anyone managed more than an hour of good sleep that night. Around 4 in the morning a group of 4 (me included) decided it would be best to get to a WaWa and rehydrate for the morning's games. We ended up picking up an extra hour of sleep in the car's A/C out in the parking lot. A hotel was booked first thing Saturday morning.
Our pool for Saturday looked particularly nasty. We had last years champs (Rabs), a team of DC players we knew were very good (Hennessey, they ended up in the 2-2 finals this year), and an unknown to play. We finished the pool 1-2 with losses to the bigger teams and a solid performance over the 3rd. There were huge layout scores and d's during all three games and we came out of the pool knowing we had something to prove (and knowing that this had to be one of the harder pools in the tournament).
Our crossover on Saturday was probably one of our best games all weekend. We were all fired up and ready to get a convincing win moving into Sunday's play. That's exactly what we did as Broaddus, Dave, Huldah, and Jim all played out of their minds and led us to a huge victory.
Saturday night was a welcome change from Friday. Air conditioned hotel rooms and cold showers were much needed after one of the hottest Wildwood's I've been to. Although I know we all wanted to get out to the shore and hit the clubs for some fist pumping, the sleep came pretty quickly for all of us.
Sunday morning was great. We didn't have a game until 11, and we really acted like it when we rolled out of bed in the morning. Everyone seemed refreshed from actually getting a full night's worth of sleep, and we were happy to have the time for breakfast and pre-game shopping for Gatorades (because the tourney provides Powerade which tastes like swamp water...). Anyway, just to finish this post (since I started it 6 days ago and got too busy to finish), I'm going to pass along a short video from the tourney. We ended up 3-3 on the weekend with a 1-1 day on Sunday. Overall I think we had a bunch of fun! Enjoy the clip!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
June Update/Injury TMI
I've done a pretty poor job of staying on a schedule with this blog. I think I managed 3 or 4 weeks in a row before I faltered, and that's really not a good record... I think it's a combination of a bunch of things that are tying me up right now, but no excuse is really a good one.
So, instead of doing research and putting together a really thoughtful post, I'm going to just do a personal update...
The biggest recent news for me is that I'm not playing baseball this summer after all. It was a tough decision to make, but my arm began to feel like it did in High School. That would be a good thing for most people, but for me it wasn't fun to return to that form. I had some fun with my arm going dead during practice and even waking up not able to lift my arm above 90 degrees after one game back in the day... I just wasn't looking forward to experiencing that again, so I gave it up. It sucks, but it has served to revive my interest in Ultimate.
Speaking of Ultimate... I went to tryouts last weekend for Eastern Motors, a local DC club team that I played for 2 years ago. I had a good time and even managed to place in the top 2 on 3 consecutive 70 sprints... That was a little bit of a surprise, and, I'll admit it, I haven't been running much recently and I'm still feeling it a little today. The practice went well though, and I'll be attending the Cazenovia Ultimate Tournament in NY this weekend with the team. It should be a good time, and I'm definitely feeling more of a spark than I have the last few seasons. I think it's a combination of being away for so long and finally dropping some of that excess weight (yeah, I guess 10-15 pounds really matters). I'll take some pictures and hopefully have a recap when I get back.
Golf and rock climbing have entered the picture for the summer as well, and I managed to get in the trifecta this past week. Saturday was a 6 hour round of golf at Langston with Arin, Sunday was EM's 3-hour tryout, and Tuesday was a few hours of rock climbing at a gym in Rockville. Weight training has been holding steady at 2-3 times a week, but things have been interesting since my arm issues flared up. It is nice that Ultimate doesn't cause the arm to flare up despite similar action at the elbow joint. It's really that overhead stuff I guess...
You didn't ask, but I'll tell anyway... background info on the shoulder issues:
In addition to the elbow/shoulder pain I found myself in during high school, these things may be compounded due to a little skiing mishap from 2005... I was skiing Breckenridge and found a sweet little jump in the middle of one of the blues. Joel dared me to get some air on the jump, and obviously I took him up on the dare (or else I wouldn't be writing this). I turned off the lift and pointed the skis straight downhill. I had a pretty good head of steam going by the time I hit the lip of the "jump." For air in the middle of a run it was pretty decent and I had more than enough time to make a nice "X" with my body and even reign my skis back in before landing. I remember looking down at the skis to make sure they were nice and straight before I hit the ground... well, they were, right up until I made ground contact. I flipped over the skis and threw them as soon as I hit the ground, and my shoulder slammed into the packed snow. You know that wet crunching sound your ankle makes when you roll it badly? Well, my shoulder made that noise. I'm pretty sure it's the same noise Sam Bradford may have heard against BYU; maybe not as bad... Anyway, long story over, I laughed it off until I got on the lift at the bottom and couldn't pick my arm up. So now I get random pain in the AC joint area with overhead activities and occasionally while bench pressing. It's normally not bad, but the baseball aggravated the hell out of it...
So, instead of doing research and putting together a really thoughtful post, I'm going to just do a personal update...
The biggest recent news for me is that I'm not playing baseball this summer after all. It was a tough decision to make, but my arm began to feel like it did in High School. That would be a good thing for most people, but for me it wasn't fun to return to that form. I had some fun with my arm going dead during practice and even waking up not able to lift my arm above 90 degrees after one game back in the day... I just wasn't looking forward to experiencing that again, so I gave it up. It sucks, but it has served to revive my interest in Ultimate.
Speaking of Ultimate... I went to tryouts last weekend for Eastern Motors, a local DC club team that I played for 2 years ago. I had a good time and even managed to place in the top 2 on 3 consecutive 70 sprints... That was a little bit of a surprise, and, I'll admit it, I haven't been running much recently and I'm still feeling it a little today. The practice went well though, and I'll be attending the Cazenovia Ultimate Tournament in NY this weekend with the team. It should be a good time, and I'm definitely feeling more of a spark than I have the last few seasons. I think it's a combination of being away for so long and finally dropping some of that excess weight (yeah, I guess 10-15 pounds really matters). I'll take some pictures and hopefully have a recap when I get back.
Golf and rock climbing have entered the picture for the summer as well, and I managed to get in the trifecta this past week. Saturday was a 6 hour round of golf at Langston with Arin, Sunday was EM's 3-hour tryout, and Tuesday was a few hours of rock climbing at a gym in Rockville. Weight training has been holding steady at 2-3 times a week, but things have been interesting since my arm issues flared up. It is nice that Ultimate doesn't cause the arm to flare up despite similar action at the elbow joint. It's really that overhead stuff I guess...
You didn't ask, but I'll tell anyway... background info on the shoulder issues:
In addition to the elbow/shoulder pain I found myself in during high school, these things may be compounded due to a little skiing mishap from 2005... I was skiing Breckenridge and found a sweet little jump in the middle of one of the blues. Joel dared me to get some air on the jump, and obviously I took him up on the dare (or else I wouldn't be writing this). I turned off the lift and pointed the skis straight downhill. I had a pretty good head of steam going by the time I hit the lip of the "jump." For air in the middle of a run it was pretty decent and I had more than enough time to make a nice "X" with my body and even reign my skis back in before landing. I remember looking down at the skis to make sure they were nice and straight before I hit the ground... well, they were, right up until I made ground contact. I flipped over the skis and threw them as soon as I hit the ground, and my shoulder slammed into the packed snow. You know that wet crunching sound your ankle makes when you roll it badly? Well, my shoulder made that noise. I'm pretty sure it's the same noise Sam Bradford may have heard against BYU; maybe not as bad... Anyway, long story over, I laughed it off until I got on the lift at the bottom and couldn't pick my arm up. So now I get random pain in the AC joint area with overhead activities and occasionally while bench pressing. It's normally not bad, but the baseball aggravated the hell out of it...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
3rd Annual CUA Alumni Game
When it comes to club sports programs I believe it’s essential to leave things better than they were when you arrived. It’s sort of like camping… in a way. When you get to a program things generally function fine with or without you, but if you find yourself falling into some sort of leadership role it’s important to lend structure and discipline (well, as much as you can muster!) to the program to help it thrive. Last May was the final chapter in my 3 years on the Catholic University Ultimate team, and I hope I was able to do just that.
One of the things I am proud to be a part of is the annual alumni game. We started the game 3 years ago and just recently battled it out in our 3rd contest. For me, the alumni game was created as a chance to reconnect with the roots of the team through friendly competition, bring the alumni back together to relive old glory, and potentially to enjoy a bacon explosion (or two).
At this point in time however, the alumni are dealing with a serious losing streak. The alums haven’t won in, like, forever (that’s 3 years now if you’re counting…).
This year was my first shot to cleat up for the alums and I was sure things were going to be different. We graduated a solid class last year, and really looked to take it to an inexperienced student team (relatively, of course). Going into the match up we were pleased to hear that we had a strong line of returners, but we were short a few of our powerhouse players. Even without those guys we figured a win was in the cards this year.
The game started like any alumni game would... Easy drops by the alums had the Habit capitalizing on good field position, and old legs (and some younger-old legs) had some problems adjusting to the game’s speed. I think the older legs began to warm-up a bit with Habit up 3-1, and we started to play ourselves back into the game. The bad guys had more speed/athleticism at the top end, but the throws and decision-making weren’t up to par with alumni poaching, giving us several easy d's (mostly by our women) and allowing us to convert a few easy scores of our own. After weathering the early storm of unfamiliarity with each other the alums managed to take half 8-7. Our spirits were high and, despite only having a 1-point lead, we knew we were headed for victory.
Of the two halves, the second was much more dynamic. A huge layout d by the alums, some great deep cuts by Habit, alumni toeing the lines for scores, and solid offense on both sides kept the score close going late in the game.
As an interruption of the story, I thought I would just quickly mention my favorite moment from the game… Knowing this is a friendly game between the “wily” alums and the energetic youth of CUA Ultimate, I hope you can forgive me… As my position as an alum requires, I feel there has to be a certain level of craftiness to my game. It came midway through the second half when I set up for a reset pass. Jake was covering me and had a close eye on my every move. Jim had the disc on the sideline we were forced to and I was feeling a little lazy with my reset position. Instead of cutting for the disc an idea popped into my head, “great throw Jim!” was the first thing I could think of to say as I took a few steps upfield to fake a set up for the next reset. Jake immediately took 5-8 steps back towards his endzone to make sure I wouldn’t make a cut upfield. His reaction sprung me for an easy reset, as Jim had not thrown the disc and Jake had turned completely away from me, and opened up the break side of the field for an easy throw and catch for the score. Yeah, I feel a little guilty, but it was unbelievably effective…
Close after, Habit brought the score even again and we were tied at 14s. A tie there forced overtime and a win by 2 or first to 17 rule came into effect. After battling through another point the kids finally overpowered the alums and scored a pair of points to end the game at 17-15.
I wouldn’t hesitate to say that this was the best alumni game yet, and I really enjoyed losing to the future of Catholic Ultimate (well, as much as anyone can enjoy losing). This team seems to be on the cusp of something great, and I think the current regime may be able to take that next step. With Dave at the reigns of the team they’ve been able to settle into even more discipline and structure than I was able to manage, and it sounds like progress is still being made on that front.
The biggest news of the year was the success of the sectionals tournament. The men’s team had the pleasure of playing with one of the Section’s rookies of the year, Paul, and the women’s team played their first ever tournament! That’s exciting news for CUA, as it’s been a long time coming. It was one of my dreams while I was a part of the program, and I was so happy to hear that Dave and the Jess pair made it happen. I wish the Bad Habit men and women the best of luck in the future, and I hope they continue building the CUA Ultimate system for the future.
At the same time, it’s good to know that CUA will be passing along some great new talent to the alums in the future, and you know we won’t be winless forever!
One of the things I am proud to be a part of is the annual alumni game. We started the game 3 years ago and just recently battled it out in our 3rd contest. For me, the alumni game was created as a chance to reconnect with the roots of the team through friendly competition, bring the alumni back together to relive old glory, and potentially to enjoy a bacon explosion (or two).
At this point in time however, the alumni are dealing with a serious losing streak. The alums haven’t won in, like, forever (that’s 3 years now if you’re counting…).
This year was my first shot to cleat up for the alums and I was sure things were going to be different. We graduated a solid class last year, and really looked to take it to an inexperienced student team (relatively, of course). Going into the match up we were pleased to hear that we had a strong line of returners, but we were short a few of our powerhouse players. Even without those guys we figured a win was in the cards this year.
The game started like any alumni game would... Easy drops by the alums had the Habit capitalizing on good field position, and old legs (and some younger-old legs) had some problems adjusting to the game’s speed. I think the older legs began to warm-up a bit with Habit up 3-1, and we started to play ourselves back into the game. The bad guys had more speed/athleticism at the top end, but the throws and decision-making weren’t up to par with alumni poaching, giving us several easy d's (mostly by our women) and allowing us to convert a few easy scores of our own. After weathering the early storm of unfamiliarity with each other the alums managed to take half 8-7. Our spirits were high and, despite only having a 1-point lead, we knew we were headed for victory.
Of the two halves, the second was much more dynamic. A huge layout d by the alums, some great deep cuts by Habit, alumni toeing the lines for scores, and solid offense on both sides kept the score close going late in the game.
As an interruption of the story, I thought I would just quickly mention my favorite moment from the game… Knowing this is a friendly game between the “wily” alums and the energetic youth of CUA Ultimate, I hope you can forgive me… As my position as an alum requires, I feel there has to be a certain level of craftiness to my game. It came midway through the second half when I set up for a reset pass. Jake was covering me and had a close eye on my every move. Jim had the disc on the sideline we were forced to and I was feeling a little lazy with my reset position. Instead of cutting for the disc an idea popped into my head, “great throw Jim!” was the first thing I could think of to say as I took a few steps upfield to fake a set up for the next reset. Jake immediately took 5-8 steps back towards his endzone to make sure I wouldn’t make a cut upfield. His reaction sprung me for an easy reset, as Jim had not thrown the disc and Jake had turned completely away from me, and opened up the break side of the field for an easy throw and catch for the score. Yeah, I feel a little guilty, but it was unbelievably effective…
Close after, Habit brought the score even again and we were tied at 14s. A tie there forced overtime and a win by 2 or first to 17 rule came into effect. After battling through another point the kids finally overpowered the alums and scored a pair of points to end the game at 17-15.
I wouldn’t hesitate to say that this was the best alumni game yet, and I really enjoyed losing to the future of Catholic Ultimate (well, as much as anyone can enjoy losing). This team seems to be on the cusp of something great, and I think the current regime may be able to take that next step. With Dave at the reigns of the team they’ve been able to settle into even more discipline and structure than I was able to manage, and it sounds like progress is still being made on that front.
The biggest news of the year was the success of the sectionals tournament. The men’s team had the pleasure of playing with one of the Section’s rookies of the year, Paul, and the women’s team played their first ever tournament! That’s exciting news for CUA, as it’s been a long time coming. It was one of my dreams while I was a part of the program, and I was so happy to hear that Dave and the Jess pair made it happen. I wish the Bad Habit men and women the best of luck in the future, and I hope they continue building the CUA Ultimate system for the future.
At the same time, it’s good to know that CUA will be passing along some great new talent to the alums in the future, and you know we won’t be winless forever!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Rope Intervals
Here I am, late again... Two quick things before I get started: baseball season started Friday (for me, not MLB!) and I absolutely suck at skeeball.
Now, about the ropes...
I was introduced to these ropes through youtube a while back, and finally was able to try them when I visited the gym my brother works at. He had purchased a 50 foot nylon rope to torture his clients with, and I wanted in on the action. My introduction to the ropes was a combination first of amusement, then awe at the difficulty of the exercise, and finally of exhaustion.
Basically you're faced with a large rope wrapped around an immovable object. You grab the ends of the rope and swing away. Of course there are plenty of patterns to choose from, but any idiot can wear themselves out regardless of what they're doing with the thing. Basically, the rules are to just swing the things as hard and fast as you can. The best thing about the ropes is that it's low-impact cardio. Most people like to do their intervals on their feet and this tends to wear you down, as you're putting a lot of stress on the lower body. Using the ropes to break up the monotony of lower body dominant interval training and "cardio" can save your joints and keep your training interesting.
I recommend progressing the ropes through interval training. Start with a generous 15:45s, work:rest ratio for 8-12 rounds and work down from there. A good goal would be to get yourself down to the infamous Tabata protocol using a negative work:rest ratio of 20:10 for 4 minutes. If you're busting your ass through your 160 seconds of work you won't want to do another set. Yeah, sometimes the clock is the toughest workout partner you can find.
For fun, here's a video of Dave, Jim, and I doing some ropes during snowmageddon in DC this February. That guy sucking air on the vid? That's Jim. Oh, and yes, everybody loves training you can do outside!
If you can't tell by how often I link to him... I really enjoy Dan John's writing style and lifting philosophy. You can check his blog out or find him occasionally on T-Muscle. He's also got a book, "Never Let Go", that I just finished and really enjoyed. It's basically a collection of his best articles that tell the story about his growth as a strength coach as well as a person. I would definitely recommend it.
Now, about the ropes...
I was introduced to these ropes through youtube a while back, and finally was able to try them when I visited the gym my brother works at. He had purchased a 50 foot nylon rope to torture his clients with, and I wanted in on the action. My introduction to the ropes was a combination first of amusement, then awe at the difficulty of the exercise, and finally of exhaustion.
Basically you're faced with a large rope wrapped around an immovable object. You grab the ends of the rope and swing away. Of course there are plenty of patterns to choose from, but any idiot can wear themselves out regardless of what they're doing with the thing. Basically, the rules are to just swing the things as hard and fast as you can. The best thing about the ropes is that it's low-impact cardio. Most people like to do their intervals on their feet and this tends to wear you down, as you're putting a lot of stress on the lower body. Using the ropes to break up the monotony of lower body dominant interval training and "cardio" can save your joints and keep your training interesting.
I recommend progressing the ropes through interval training. Start with a generous 15:45s, work:rest ratio for 8-12 rounds and work down from there. A good goal would be to get yourself down to the infamous Tabata protocol using a negative work:rest ratio of 20:10 for 4 minutes. If you're busting your ass through your 160 seconds of work you won't want to do another set. Yeah, sometimes the clock is the toughest workout partner you can find.
For fun, here's a video of Dave, Jim, and I doing some ropes during snowmageddon in DC this February. That guy sucking air on the vid? That's Jim. Oh, and yes, everybody loves training you can do outside!
If you can't tell by how often I link to him... I really enjoy Dan John's writing style and lifting philosophy. You can check his blog out or find him occasionally on T-Muscle. He's also got a book, "Never Let Go", that I just finished and really enjoyed. It's basically a collection of his best articles that tell the story about his growth as a strength coach as well as a person. I would definitely recommend it.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
April Update
This is probably a good time to do a quick set of bullets on what's going on with me right now. I had a really busy weekend that led to a lack of great ideas for the blog, but there is a lot happening right now.
- After almost two months of waiting, I have finally received my course materials for my Understanding Nutrition I course. I began coursework this past weekend, and will hopefully find time each day to put in some reading. I think one of the books weighs in around 15 pounds...
- I will be taking a TRX certification course on Sunday. It's going to be a long day, but the TRX is a sweet suspension training tool that I already use fairly often in the gym. I've already done a bunch of my own reading/research on its uses, but hopefully the course will give me a few more ideas.
- Our first game of the Skeeson (Skeeball season!) was Monday night. We lost a close game, but I have a feeling we'll do pretty well in the league. It's pretty fun and a little ridiculous. I'm really competitive, so I'm looking for chances to practice my game. I just keep thinking about all those times I skipped over Skee Ball to play Time Crisis at the Dave & Busters...
- I am officially playing baseball this summer. I talked about joining up with a team for a bit, but now that I've paid my summer dues it's pretty official. I'm playing with the DC Bears in a local wood bat baseball league. It has been 9 years since I've played ball, but the fundamentals are coming back quickly and the recent weather has been great for it!
- One of my clients at Results has lost ~20lbs in the two months we've worked together. Awesome.
- This video is awesome and seriously made me cringe...
- After almost two months of waiting, I have finally received my course materials for my Understanding Nutrition I course. I began coursework this past weekend, and will hopefully find time each day to put in some reading. I think one of the books weighs in around 15 pounds...
- I will be taking a TRX certification course on Sunday. It's going to be a long day, but the TRX is a sweet suspension training tool that I already use fairly often in the gym. I've already done a bunch of my own reading/research on its uses, but hopefully the course will give me a few more ideas.
- Our first game of the Skeeson (Skeeball season!) was Monday night. We lost a close game, but I have a feeling we'll do pretty well in the league. It's pretty fun and a little ridiculous. I'm really competitive, so I'm looking for chances to practice my game. I just keep thinking about all those times I skipped over Skee Ball to play Time Crisis at the Dave & Busters...
- I am officially playing baseball this summer. I talked about joining up with a team for a bit, but now that I've paid my summer dues it's pretty official. I'm playing with the DC Bears in a local wood bat baseball league. It has been 9 years since I've played ball, but the fundamentals are coming back quickly and the recent weather has been great for it!
- One of my clients at Results has lost ~20lbs in the two months we've worked together. Awesome.
- This video is awesome and seriously made me cringe...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Metabolic Resistance Training - The Complex
I brought this up last week, so I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page here. Metabolic Resistance Training, as I see it, generally consists of a full body workout combining intensity with density.
In my previous post I listed examples of this - barbell complexes, kettlebell exercises, supersets and tri-sets – but I didn’t go into too much detail. For this post, I want to provide some sort of takeaway that you can use. Keep in mind these are very general recommendations and will not be personalized to your unique situation. Today I’ll discuss the complex.
The Complex
These are interesting, fun, and they have seen a ton of hype recently. A complex is essentially a resistance circuit that is done without letting go of the implement used. With complexes you want to move swiftly through a set number of exercises (usually 8-10) without setting the weight down and without using poor technique. Due to the nature of the complex you should use a weight that is light enough to complete the prescribed repetitions on the most difficult exercise used. Complexes can be done with barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, or even weight plates.
A basic barbell complex can look like this:
(All exercises done with 8 repetitions)
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Bentover Row
Straight Leg Deadlift
Or this:
Snatch
Walking Lunge
Good Morning
Push Press
Bentover Row
Complete the complex as quickly as possible without setting the weight down. In both complexes you would use a weight light enough to complete 8 repetitions of the Push Press, because this is generally the weakest movement involved. Complete 2-3 sets of the complex to get a good cardio/strength training workout in.
Progressing the complex is as simple as adding weight, sets, or speed. For more variations and information check out the following sites:
Complexes 2.0 - John Romaniello
Rebuild Yourself With Complexes - Dan John
Dan John's Complexes
Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training Barbell Complex:
In my previous post I listed examples of this - barbell complexes, kettlebell exercises, supersets and tri-sets – but I didn’t go into too much detail. For this post, I want to provide some sort of takeaway that you can use. Keep in mind these are very general recommendations and will not be personalized to your unique situation. Today I’ll discuss the complex.
The Complex
These are interesting, fun, and they have seen a ton of hype recently. A complex is essentially a resistance circuit that is done without letting go of the implement used. With complexes you want to move swiftly through a set number of exercises (usually 8-10) without setting the weight down and without using poor technique. Due to the nature of the complex you should use a weight that is light enough to complete the prescribed repetitions on the most difficult exercise used. Complexes can be done with barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, or even weight plates.
A basic barbell complex can look like this:
(All exercises done with 8 repetitions)
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Bentover Row
Straight Leg Deadlift
Or this:
Snatch
Walking Lunge
Good Morning
Push Press
Bentover Row
Complete the complex as quickly as possible without setting the weight down. In both complexes you would use a weight light enough to complete 8 repetitions of the Push Press, because this is generally the weakest movement involved. Complete 2-3 sets of the complex to get a good cardio/strength training workout in.
Progressing the complex is as simple as adding weight, sets, or speed. For more variations and information check out the following sites:
Complexes 2.0 - John Romaniello
Rebuild Yourself With Complexes - Dan John
Dan John's Complexes
Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training Barbell Complex:
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Cardio: To do or not to do... And how much!
First, a question: What does cardio look like? It has many forms, but the basic idea is that it's exercise that elevates the heart rate and uses oxygen as its primary energy source. It can look like many things - swimming, running, walking - but it may not be what you're looking for.
Before you head to the gym to "get your cardio in," you should ask yourself a few questions: What is my goal? And, most importantly: Is cardio really the best way to get to my goal? Assuming that you are like most fitness enthusiasts, you're probably in it to lose a few pounds or "tone" your body (same, same). Another group of gym-goers may be preparing for their upcoming sports season. And, finally, your goal may be to run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April... In this post, I'm really focusing on the first two.
The people in those two groups may just be wasting their time. And, really, let's be honest, time is not something you like to waste in the gym. Today we're really going to focus on those looking to lose weight.
This subject has come up multiple times over the last week, and I wanted to get some thoughts out there. Well, my thoughts supported by those from our industry's leaders. A large part of what I use in this post is taken from Alwyn Cosgrove's "The Hierarchy of Fat Loss."
So, since you're asking, what is Alwyn's Hierarchy of Fat Loss?
1. Correct Nutrition
"You absolutely cannot out-train a crappy diet."
2. Activities that burn calories, maintain muscle mass, and elevate metabolism
The bulk of our calories burned come from our resting metabolic rate, and this is determined by muscle mass and how hard it's working. We need to maintain or gain muscle mass if we are to lose fat.
The smallest part of total calories burned comes from calories outside of our resting metabolism.
3. Activities that burn calories and elevate metabolism
This is that EPOC stuff that we've been talking about. Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption is defined scientifically as the "recovery of metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels" and "can require several minutes for light exercise and several hours for hard intervals." These are calories burned due to an increase in demand from our body after an exercise session.
4. Activities that burn calories but don't necessarily maintain muscle or elevate metabolism
This is the least effective tool. In most people's vocab, this is simply referred to as "cardio."
Now, before you give me any credit, just remember that I am paraphrasing Alwyn here... I don't want anyone to claim that I'm stealing! Now, for the meat and potatoes part... (To keep this from getting too bogged down, I'm going to remove the studies from the work... I'll link to the full article at the bottom)
Five Factors for Fat Loss Training
1. Metabolic Resistance Training
Resistance training is vital to fat loss. This means work every muscle group hard, frequently, and with an intensity that creates what Alwyn calls "afterburn" that leaves the metabolism elevated for several hours post-workout.
Metabolic resistance training can be barbell complexes, kettlebell work, supersets, and/or tri-sets.
2. High Intensity Anaerobic Interval Training (HIIT)
It burns more calories than steady state and elevates metabolism significantly more than other forms of cardio. The downside is that it flat-out sucks to do it! One reason this works so much better than steady state is due to the awesome power of the human body (9 times better in the study Alwyn quotes!). When you jog on the treadmill every day your body easily adapts to the stress. If you tear yourself a new one with anaerobic intervals beyond the aerobic threshold, your body will not adapt and you will burn fat.
These intervals are more intense than any aerobic interval. Anaerobic intervals are done beyond the aerobic threshold, where your body can no longer just use oxygen for its energy. These intervals are done in a perceived rate of exertion of 9-10 on a scale to 10.
“Interval training is like putting your savings into a high return investment account. Low intensity aerobics is like hiding it under your mattress. Both will work, but the return you get is radically different.”
3. High Intensity Aerobic Interval Training
Still within the aerobic threshold (a perceived rate of exertion of 7-8 on a scale to 10), but with a higher intensity.
4. Steady State High Intensity Aerobic Training
Just hard cardio (don't see this much...).
5. Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic Training
Moving more.... Walking to get your groceries or taking the stairs instead of the elevator are pretty common options.
From here Alywn gets into what I heard Mike Boyle call the 180 degree principle. “If you see most of the people in the gym doing something you should do the opposite.”
As I mentioned in my “Cardio Zombie” (As Kirk not-so-fondly refers to them) post, anybody working out at a commercial gym will see lines upon lines of full treadmills. According to Boyle we should walk the other way. Alwyn prescribes metabolic resistance training as his first attack against the bulge. This battle begins with time management.
That time should be allotted according to the following:
Time Available - Training Used
≤ 3 hours - Metabolic Resistance Training
3-5 hours - Add High Intensity Anaerobic Intervals
5-6 hours - Add High Intensity Aerobic Intervals
6-8 hours - Add Steady State High Intensity Aerobic
> 8 hours - Add Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic
With fat loss training the key is to do the maximum amount possible while maintaining our recovery levels. As you see in the chart, the intensity diminishes as we spend more time in the gym. Our body can recover much better from the steady state aerobic work than it can from the resistance training, so once additional time becomes available for burning calories we can effectively use it for fat loss without inhibiting our recovery.
Special thanks to Alwyn Cosgrove for the inspiration this week. I know his work here has helped many coaches and trainers understand the science of fat loss. You can find the original article here.
Before you head to the gym to "get your cardio in," you should ask yourself a few questions: What is my goal? And, most importantly: Is cardio really the best way to get to my goal? Assuming that you are like most fitness enthusiasts, you're probably in it to lose a few pounds or "tone" your body (same, same). Another group of gym-goers may be preparing for their upcoming sports season. And, finally, your goal may be to run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April... In this post, I'm really focusing on the first two.
The people in those two groups may just be wasting their time. And, really, let's be honest, time is not something you like to waste in the gym. Today we're really going to focus on those looking to lose weight.
This subject has come up multiple times over the last week, and I wanted to get some thoughts out there. Well, my thoughts supported by those from our industry's leaders. A large part of what I use in this post is taken from Alwyn Cosgrove's "The Hierarchy of Fat Loss."
So, since you're asking, what is Alwyn's Hierarchy of Fat Loss?
1. Correct Nutrition
"You absolutely cannot out-train a crappy diet."
2. Activities that burn calories, maintain muscle mass, and elevate metabolism
The bulk of our calories burned come from our resting metabolic rate, and this is determined by muscle mass and how hard it's working. We need to maintain or gain muscle mass if we are to lose fat.
The smallest part of total calories burned comes from calories outside of our resting metabolism.
3. Activities that burn calories and elevate metabolism
This is that EPOC stuff that we've been talking about. Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption is defined scientifically as the "recovery of metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels" and "can require several minutes for light exercise and several hours for hard intervals." These are calories burned due to an increase in demand from our body after an exercise session.
4. Activities that burn calories but don't necessarily maintain muscle or elevate metabolism
This is the least effective tool. In most people's vocab, this is simply referred to as "cardio."
Now, before you give me any credit, just remember that I am paraphrasing Alwyn here... I don't want anyone to claim that I'm stealing! Now, for the meat and potatoes part... (To keep this from getting too bogged down, I'm going to remove the studies from the work... I'll link to the full article at the bottom)
Five Factors for Fat Loss Training
1. Metabolic Resistance Training
Resistance training is vital to fat loss. This means work every muscle group hard, frequently, and with an intensity that creates what Alwyn calls "afterburn" that leaves the metabolism elevated for several hours post-workout.
Metabolic resistance training can be barbell complexes, kettlebell work, supersets, and/or tri-sets.
2. High Intensity Anaerobic Interval Training (HIIT)
It burns more calories than steady state and elevates metabolism significantly more than other forms of cardio. The downside is that it flat-out sucks to do it! One reason this works so much better than steady state is due to the awesome power of the human body (9 times better in the study Alwyn quotes!). When you jog on the treadmill every day your body easily adapts to the stress. If you tear yourself a new one with anaerobic intervals beyond the aerobic threshold, your body will not adapt and you will burn fat.
These intervals are more intense than any aerobic interval. Anaerobic intervals are done beyond the aerobic threshold, where your body can no longer just use oxygen for its energy. These intervals are done in a perceived rate of exertion of 9-10 on a scale to 10.
“Interval training is like putting your savings into a high return investment account. Low intensity aerobics is like hiding it under your mattress. Both will work, but the return you get is radically different.”
3. High Intensity Aerobic Interval Training
Still within the aerobic threshold (a perceived rate of exertion of 7-8 on a scale to 10), but with a higher intensity.
4. Steady State High Intensity Aerobic Training
Just hard cardio (don't see this much...).
5. Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic Training
Moving more.... Walking to get your groceries or taking the stairs instead of the elevator are pretty common options.
From here Alywn gets into what I heard Mike Boyle call the 180 degree principle. “If you see most of the people in the gym doing something you should do the opposite.”
As I mentioned in my “Cardio Zombie” (As Kirk not-so-fondly refers to them) post, anybody working out at a commercial gym will see lines upon lines of full treadmills. According to Boyle we should walk the other way. Alwyn prescribes metabolic resistance training as his first attack against the bulge. This battle begins with time management.
That time should be allotted according to the following:
Time Available - Training Used
≤ 3 hours - Metabolic Resistance Training
3-5 hours - Add High Intensity Anaerobic Intervals
5-6 hours - Add High Intensity Aerobic Intervals
6-8 hours - Add Steady State High Intensity Aerobic
> 8 hours - Add Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic
With fat loss training the key is to do the maximum amount possible while maintaining our recovery levels. As you see in the chart, the intensity diminishes as we spend more time in the gym. Our body can recover much better from the steady state aerobic work than it can from the resistance training, so once additional time becomes available for burning calories we can effectively use it for fat loss without inhibiting our recovery.
Special thanks to Alwyn Cosgrove for the inspiration this week. I know his work here has helped many coaches and trainers understand the science of fat loss. You can find the original article here.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
NSCA Mid-Atlantic Conference - Body Composition
I attended my first Strength and Conditioning conference this past weekend. It was put on by my certifying agency the National Strength and Conditioning Association. They are one of the leading bodies in terms of S&C research, so I was expecting big things from the 12-hour conference.
Things didn't start too well for the conference in my opinion. Well, the fact that I was the first one there says a lot... Dr. Todd Miller, GW's representative for the conference, was there to greet me, but none of the NSCA folks were. After 45 minutes of waiting, they finally walked in and started registration. Due to the delay, our first presenter started late. This was unfortunate, because I believe the first session was the best of the day.
Dr. Miller was that presenter, and he seemed to be the best prepared speaker of the bunch. He designed the Exercise Science graduate program at GW and is one of the faculty members in their program. His topic was in regards to body composition testing of athletes before, during, and after their seasons.
Here are the two abstracts he referenced in his session (as you can see, he was one of the main researchers in each):
The effects of training history, player position, and body composition on exercise performance in collegiate football players.
Seasonal changes in VO2max among Division 1A collegiate women soccer players.
Dr. Miller's main argument began with an overview of the second study. Female soccer players were found to have lost lean muscle and gained fat mass over the course of their soccer season. This could be due to the adjustment of their workout schedule and the assumption that soccer players work as hard in practice as they do in the weight room (therefore causing the coach to schedule less anaerobic sessions during the season). The change in body composition could prove to be a detriment to the athlete's performance, but injury could prove to be even more detrimental. Although no data was available to show us whether these additional sessions may make an athlete any more or less injury-prone, it does seem a good argument for maintaining performance and body composition through the season.
His second study covers the addition of an external load on the speed of an athlete. The external load would represent fat mass, and would have to be done this way to best replicate the addition of fat mass onto the body. Obviously he couldn't have shown the differences in the same athlete with less muscle and more fat, because a study of that size would just be asking for inconsistencies and it would be extremely hard to create.
It was at this point that Dr. Miller brought up a very interesting real world application of this. Thoroughbred horses are sometimes handicapped to make their races more competitive. These 1300 lbs, 3% body fat horses are only handicapped 2 pounds to slow them down by 8 feet over the course of a mile. Only 2 pounds!
The translation to humans is pretty dire. If a 130 pound person added 2 pounds of fat and didn't lose any muscle we could potentially expect them to lose up to 80 feet over the course of a mile. That's quite a difference. The football players in Dr. Miller's study lost around .25-.5 seconds in a 40 yard dash by adding 2 pounds of external load. In a high stakes athletic competition, that's a big deal.
So, the take home message for those coaches out there? Take body comps often and continue to push your athletes in the weight room through the season. Dr. Miller recommends prescribing athletes mandatory cardio sessions if an athlete's fat mass begins to rise during the season (something low-impact like the bike or elliptical). A well-designed nutrition plan and education could also serve your athletes well in this regard.
Things didn't start too well for the conference in my opinion. Well, the fact that I was the first one there says a lot... Dr. Todd Miller, GW's representative for the conference, was there to greet me, but none of the NSCA folks were. After 45 minutes of waiting, they finally walked in and started registration. Due to the delay, our first presenter started late. This was unfortunate, because I believe the first session was the best of the day.
Dr. Miller was that presenter, and he seemed to be the best prepared speaker of the bunch. He designed the Exercise Science graduate program at GW and is one of the faculty members in their program. His topic was in regards to body composition testing of athletes before, during, and after their seasons.
Here are the two abstracts he referenced in his session (as you can see, he was one of the main researchers in each):
The effects of training history, player position, and body composition on exercise performance in collegiate football players.
Seasonal changes in VO2max among Division 1A collegiate women soccer players.
Dr. Miller's main argument began with an overview of the second study. Female soccer players were found to have lost lean muscle and gained fat mass over the course of their soccer season. This could be due to the adjustment of their workout schedule and the assumption that soccer players work as hard in practice as they do in the weight room (therefore causing the coach to schedule less anaerobic sessions during the season). The change in body composition could prove to be a detriment to the athlete's performance, but injury could prove to be even more detrimental. Although no data was available to show us whether these additional sessions may make an athlete any more or less injury-prone, it does seem a good argument for maintaining performance and body composition through the season.
His second study covers the addition of an external load on the speed of an athlete. The external load would represent fat mass, and would have to be done this way to best replicate the addition of fat mass onto the body. Obviously he couldn't have shown the differences in the same athlete with less muscle and more fat, because a study of that size would just be asking for inconsistencies and it would be extremely hard to create.
It was at this point that Dr. Miller brought up a very interesting real world application of this. Thoroughbred horses are sometimes handicapped to make their races more competitive. These 1300 lbs, 3% body fat horses are only handicapped 2 pounds to slow them down by 8 feet over the course of a mile. Only 2 pounds!
The translation to humans is pretty dire. If a 130 pound person added 2 pounds of fat and didn't lose any muscle we could potentially expect them to lose up to 80 feet over the course of a mile. That's quite a difference. The football players in Dr. Miller's study lost around .25-.5 seconds in a 40 yard dash by adding 2 pounds of external load. In a high stakes athletic competition, that's a big deal.
So, the take home message for those coaches out there? Take body comps often and continue to push your athletes in the weight room through the season. Dr. Miller recommends prescribing athletes mandatory cardio sessions if an athlete's fat mass begins to rise during the season (something low-impact like the bike or elliptical). A well-designed nutrition plan and education could also serve your athletes well in this regard.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Progression/Proximal Development
I was doing some reading today when I came across this article on Proximal Development. I think that fits in nicely with what I posted yesterday...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Progression
This is what it's all about. Life, at it's most basic, is just that: progression. You are born, learn to crawl, walk, talk, run, read, write, etc. It's progression. We all start small and work our way to more and more difficult tasks. We make these things easy, and then we move forward again. How am I able to recite the alphabet forwards and backwards or read a book? Progression. I started with A-B-C, worked my way to A-G, and eventually A-Z. We did it every day for almost a full year in school until A-Z was no longer a challenge. We then progressed to writing these letters, reading them in words, and learning their meanings. With the number of words in the English language progression is still a possibility.
If we have all learned to continually progress the mind, why do we not insist on putting our bodies through the same rigor? Our body is the vessel with which our mind resides, yet most do nothing to progress that body.
Fitness is an extension of this, yet many of us get it wrong. When it comes to fitness, progression is setting goals and working diligently to achieve them. So many people "work out" in the gym, but there are only a few who "train."
Here's what I mean... Say you want to lose some weight, but you aren't willing to put in some time to understand weight loss or weight training. You head to the gym and find yourself on a treadmill for 30 minutes each day, maybe do some "abs," and throw in a few curls for good measure. Sure, sometimes you hit the machines and do a few chest presses, but you're mostly sticking to what's comfortable for you. True, you may be in the gym 4-6 times a week on a regular schedule, but what are you accomplishing?
The short answer is pretty much nothing. Your body is as resilient a mechanism as you'll find. It realizes that you've changed its schedule and it will adjust its functions to accommodate for the minor changes you've made, and become more efficient at them. Your body now works less doing the same amount of work, and in a few short weeks you will no longer benefit from your "work out." Sure, that's super-cool that the body can manage stress so brilliantly, but your left sitting on 20% body fat and now you're wasting 4-6 hours a week at the gym!
The educated lifter hits the gym with a plan. Goals are set and benchmarks are in place before they begin a training cycle. These guys/girls know what they can do and know what they want to do. It could be weight loss, weight gain, increased speed, or increased strength, but it all comes with a plan. Each workout is progressively more difficult than the next. The weight loss trainee plans shorter and shorter rest periods for their high intensity interval sessions; the weight gainer lifts heavier weights each week and packs on the calories; the speed trainee works acceleration over 10 yards one workout and strength-speed the next; and when looking for increased strength the trainee works a combination of low repetitions with long rest periods and includes assistance work to bring up weaker points in their range of motion. Each of these trainees has a plan with a designated goal, and comes into the gym prepared to progress their bodies closer towards that goal each day.
If you're one of those who just "works out" then you need to quickly re-evaluate your situation. Sure, you may have seen some quick gains right off the bat, but they never last if you stick with what's comfortable for you. If gains begin to plateau or, even worse, you begin to put the weight back on you need to have a plan. So, get out your pen and paper and set yourself some difficult, but achievable, goals. Now that you've got some idea of what you want, ask an expert how best to accomplish your goals. And, remember, at the end of the day you need to "keep the goal the goal." Dan John spoke those wise words and they ring true. Make sure all of your effort is put towards your goal, and only stop when you meet that goal. Once you're there you can set another, because it's all about progression.
If we have all learned to continually progress the mind, why do we not insist on putting our bodies through the same rigor? Our body is the vessel with which our mind resides, yet most do nothing to progress that body.
Fitness is an extension of this, yet many of us get it wrong. When it comes to fitness, progression is setting goals and working diligently to achieve them. So many people "work out" in the gym, but there are only a few who "train."
Here's what I mean... Say you want to lose some weight, but you aren't willing to put in some time to understand weight loss or weight training. You head to the gym and find yourself on a treadmill for 30 minutes each day, maybe do some "abs," and throw in a few curls for good measure. Sure, sometimes you hit the machines and do a few chest presses, but you're mostly sticking to what's comfortable for you. True, you may be in the gym 4-6 times a week on a regular schedule, but what are you accomplishing?
The short answer is pretty much nothing. Your body is as resilient a mechanism as you'll find. It realizes that you've changed its schedule and it will adjust its functions to accommodate for the minor changes you've made, and become more efficient at them. Your body now works less doing the same amount of work, and in a few short weeks you will no longer benefit from your "work out." Sure, that's super-cool that the body can manage stress so brilliantly, but your left sitting on 20% body fat and now you're wasting 4-6 hours a week at the gym!
The educated lifter hits the gym with a plan. Goals are set and benchmarks are in place before they begin a training cycle. These guys/girls know what they can do and know what they want to do. It could be weight loss, weight gain, increased speed, or increased strength, but it all comes with a plan. Each workout is progressively more difficult than the next. The weight loss trainee plans shorter and shorter rest periods for their high intensity interval sessions; the weight gainer lifts heavier weights each week and packs on the calories; the speed trainee works acceleration over 10 yards one workout and strength-speed the next; and when looking for increased strength the trainee works a combination of low repetitions with long rest periods and includes assistance work to bring up weaker points in their range of motion. Each of these trainees has a plan with a designated goal, and comes into the gym prepared to progress their bodies closer towards that goal each day.
If you're one of those who just "works out" then you need to quickly re-evaluate your situation. Sure, you may have seen some quick gains right off the bat, but they never last if you stick with what's comfortable for you. If gains begin to plateau or, even worse, you begin to put the weight back on you need to have a plan. So, get out your pen and paper and set yourself some difficult, but achievable, goals. Now that you've got some idea of what you want, ask an expert how best to accomplish your goals. And, remember, at the end of the day you need to "keep the goal the goal." Dan John spoke those wise words and they ring true. Make sure all of your effort is put towards your goal, and only stop when you meet that goal. Once you're there you can set another, because it's all about progression.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Everyday Learning
In the fitness and nutrition field it's vital that you continue to educate so science doesn't pass you by. New research is reviewed and released almost every day that can have a lasting affect on your programming, so where do you go to keep up?
I link to many of my favorite sources on the sidebar, but there are a few that haven't made it up yet. Here's a short list of some that I've found educational:
The Fitcast : http://thefitcast.com/
I've been able to listen to snippets of their podcasts on my short drive to work, and the knowledge that Kevin, Leigh, Dr. Fass, and sometimes Tony bring to the table is wonderful. Weekly interviews with top industry professionals brings the listener several different views on varying topics. It's also great that, should I feel the need, I can just drop them a few questions to answer on the next episode. Go ahead and subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and see what it's all about. They each have their own blogs that I've found to be very informative. Links are here: http://kevinlarrabee.com/; http://www.tonygentilcore.com/; http://www.leighpeele.com/; and http://jonathanfass.blogspot.com/.
Eric Cressey : http://ericcressey.com/ and http://www.cresseyperformance.com/
After reading Maximum Strength I was sold on this guy's expertise. Several articles he posted on T-Muscle only served to confirm his standing as one of the top professionals in the field. He's done a number of products on assessments, corrective strategies, programming, and shoulder health that you can check out on his website. They are all very well done. I also chronicled my trip to Cressey Performance here and here.
Alan Aragon : http://www.alanaragonblog.com/
Ever since I first happened upon Alan's stuff, I've been blown away by his stubborn ethical stance on nutrition. Not stubborn in that I think he should change it, but stubborn in a sense that just about every nutrition "expert" you meet is attached to some supplement or product out there. Alan is a no-b.s. kind of guy, and he comes across as such in his writing and interviews (there are a few on the Fitcast you should check out). He just recently began blogging, so there isn't much content currently available, but his name can be found in many places. Research reviews, Men's Health, and on various podcasts and articles across the internet. There is a 3-part series on his development that is both entertaining and educational that anyone who's interested in moving into a fitness or nutrition-related field should read.
I'm going to cut the list short there, but know that there are many other names out there that I haven't thanked for their constant blogging, interviewing, and information-gathering that have contributed to my knowledge. As for my blogging, I think I'm going to try to hold myself to a once-a-week posting that will both help me to keep this blog current and encourage myself to provide meaningful information each week. Look for the next post next Tuesday or Wednesday!
I link to many of my favorite sources on the sidebar, but there are a few that haven't made it up yet. Here's a short list of some that I've found educational:
The Fitcast : http://thefitcast.com/
I've been able to listen to snippets of their podcasts on my short drive to work, and the knowledge that Kevin, Leigh, Dr. Fass, and sometimes Tony bring to the table is wonderful. Weekly interviews with top industry professionals brings the listener several different views on varying topics. It's also great that, should I feel the need, I can just drop them a few questions to answer on the next episode. Go ahead and subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and see what it's all about. They each have their own blogs that I've found to be very informative. Links are here: http://kevinlarrabee.com/; http://www.tonygentilcore.com/; http://www.leighpeele.com/; and http://jonathanfass.blogspot.com/.
Eric Cressey : http://ericcressey.com/ and http://www.cresseyperformance.com/
After reading Maximum Strength I was sold on this guy's expertise. Several articles he posted on T-Muscle only served to confirm his standing as one of the top professionals in the field. He's done a number of products on assessments, corrective strategies, programming, and shoulder health that you can check out on his website. They are all very well done. I also chronicled my trip to Cressey Performance here and here.
Alan Aragon : http://www.alanaragonblog.com/
Ever since I first happened upon Alan's stuff, I've been blown away by his stubborn ethical stance on nutrition. Not stubborn in that I think he should change it, but stubborn in a sense that just about every nutrition "expert" you meet is attached to some supplement or product out there. Alan is a no-b.s. kind of guy, and he comes across as such in his writing and interviews (there are a few on the Fitcast you should check out). He just recently began blogging, so there isn't much content currently available, but his name can be found in many places. Research reviews, Men's Health, and on various podcasts and articles across the internet. There is a 3-part series on his development that is both entertaining and educational that anyone who's interested in moving into a fitness or nutrition-related field should read.
I'm going to cut the list short there, but know that there are many other names out there that I haven't thanked for their constant blogging, interviewing, and information-gathering that have contributed to my knowledge. As for my blogging, I think I'm going to try to hold myself to a once-a-week posting that will both help me to keep this blog current and encourage myself to provide meaningful information each week. Look for the next post next Tuesday or Wednesday!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Stolen Vid/Nutrition Stuff
Alright, so I've been talking a lot lately about this diet I've been on and how it's changing the way I look at food. Well, check out this clip that I stole from one my links to the right (Tony Gentilcore's site):
I know roommate Dave has been going through a lot of issues finding and preparing food so I understand where these kids are coming from, but, seriously, not knowing what a potato, tomato, or cauliflower is?!?
Here's the thing that I'm coming to realize about my current food intake. It's not that I'm eating less calories each day - I may be, but I'm not counting and that's not the point. It's really that I've been eating more nutrient-dense foods. Let's make a quick comparison...
Half of a chocolate, chocolate chip muffin from the grocery store (yes, I absolutely used to eat these for breakfast...) costs you 220 calories. The nutrition facts give you 12g Fat, 28g Carbs, and 3g Protein. We're getting some nutritional help with a small percentage of RDV of Vit A, Calcium, Iron, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Magnesium, and Zinc. Nothing really substantial though. At most, there's 12% total of some.
Now, let's take a look at the improved version of my breakfast. Calories will stay similar, but check out the nutrients packed into 2 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 2 handfuls of spinach, a cup of mushrooms, and a half cup of onions. This costs you about 240 calories. 9g Fat, 15g Carb, and 26g of Protein. Now, this is pretty extreme, but in the spinach alone you'll find 150% RDA of Vit A, 42% of C, 540% of K, a smattering of B vitamins, and 39% of Manganese. That's just the spinach! The next best part about this breakfast is that it's way more filling than any muffin will ever be.
So, yeah, this is an extreme comparison, but it is one that's applicable to me. Take a look at your breakfast and see how you can tweak it for the better. Maybe add in some fresh food, I think you'll find that you like it!
I know roommate Dave has been going through a lot of issues finding and preparing food so I understand where these kids are coming from, but, seriously, not knowing what a potato, tomato, or cauliflower is?!?
Here's the thing that I'm coming to realize about my current food intake. It's not that I'm eating less calories each day - I may be, but I'm not counting and that's not the point. It's really that I've been eating more nutrient-dense foods. Let's make a quick comparison...
Half of a chocolate, chocolate chip muffin from the grocery store (yes, I absolutely used to eat these for breakfast...) costs you 220 calories. The nutrition facts give you 12g Fat, 28g Carbs, and 3g Protein. We're getting some nutritional help with a small percentage of RDV of Vit A, Calcium, Iron, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Magnesium, and Zinc. Nothing really substantial though. At most, there's 12% total of some.
Now, let's take a look at the improved version of my breakfast. Calories will stay similar, but check out the nutrients packed into 2 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 2 handfuls of spinach, a cup of mushrooms, and a half cup of onions. This costs you about 240 calories. 9g Fat, 15g Carb, and 26g of Protein. Now, this is pretty extreme, but in the spinach alone you'll find 150% RDA of Vit A, 42% of C, 540% of K, a smattering of B vitamins, and 39% of Manganese. That's just the spinach! The next best part about this breakfast is that it's way more filling than any muffin will ever be.
So, yeah, this is an extreme comparison, but it is one that's applicable to me. Take a look at your breakfast and see how you can tweak it for the better. Maybe add in some fresh food, I think you'll find that you like it!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wake up and smell the stupid.
If you've read the last few posts of mine, you'll notice that I've been spending the past two weeks getting to know the new gym I'm training at. Here's the thing... It seems like at least 50% of those who enter the gym spend all of their time on the treadmills.
Now these aren't actual statistics, but they are my best guesstimate of the stupid that I see in the mornings...
Now why would you pay $75/month to walk (or run,in some cases) on a treadmill? Is there not a free strip of land to walk on in your part of town? I hate to think that the DC streets are so violent that we can't find a 45-minute window to get our "cardio" in... Is the treadmill so much more convenient than taking the stairs instead of the elevator, actually walking up the escalator (there are no stair options sometimes in our metro stations), or just taking a walk through your neighborhood?
My apologies if anybody out there reading this fits the description, but it is what it is...
Now, to explain my view of treadmills...
Treadmills are supplementary to what you do in the gym. They can be used in several different ways...
- Add them to your circuits: do a few different exercises and mix in a 60-90 second run on the treadmill to increase the work you're doing. For example, do 15 push ups, 15 squats, 15 crunches, and a 400m run on the treadmill. This is pretty basic, but do it for time; 3 times through, always trying to best your fastest time.
- Get your cardio in when the weather outside is bad. Yes, if there is 10 inches of snow on the ground or it's pouring rain, the treadmill is not a bad option. Just don't pay for a gym membership if the treadmill is the only equipment you know how to use.
- As a progression for less-fit individuals. If you are a little overweight and you have already used up the pavement in the out-of-doors, then hop on a treadmill and put it on an incline. It's less impact than running, and it will definitely get your heartrate up. Most treadmills get up to 15%. If you are in the category that can't walk much, then use the handles on the treadmill to help support your weight as you thin down.
Now, these aren't the only reasons somebody could use a treadmill, but it's a start. And, it's definitely better than just walking for an hour because you want to avoid your neighbors or are afraid you may step on a crack in the road.
I hope this isn't too snarky, but it's just something that's been bugging me lately...
Now these aren't actual statistics, but they are my best guesstimate of the stupid that I see in the mornings...
Now why would you pay $75/month to walk (or run,in some cases) on a treadmill? Is there not a free strip of land to walk on in your part of town? I hate to think that the DC streets are so violent that we can't find a 45-minute window to get our "cardio" in... Is the treadmill so much more convenient than taking the stairs instead of the elevator, actually walking up the escalator (there are no stair options sometimes in our metro stations), or just taking a walk through your neighborhood?
My apologies if anybody out there reading this fits the description, but it is what it is...
Now, to explain my view of treadmills...
Treadmills are supplementary to what you do in the gym. They can be used in several different ways...
- Add them to your circuits: do a few different exercises and mix in a 60-90 second run on the treadmill to increase the work you're doing. For example, do 15 push ups, 15 squats, 15 crunches, and a 400m run on the treadmill. This is pretty basic, but do it for time; 3 times through, always trying to best your fastest time.
- Get your cardio in when the weather outside is bad. Yes, if there is 10 inches of snow on the ground or it's pouring rain, the treadmill is not a bad option. Just don't pay for a gym membership if the treadmill is the only equipment you know how to use.
- As a progression for less-fit individuals. If you are a little overweight and you have already used up the pavement in the out-of-doors, then hop on a treadmill and put it on an incline. It's less impact than running, and it will definitely get your heartrate up. Most treadmills get up to 15%. If you are in the category that can't walk much, then use the handles on the treadmill to help support your weight as you thin down.
Now, these aren't the only reasons somebody could use a treadmill, but it's a start. And, it's definitely better than just walking for an hour because you want to avoid your neighbors or are afraid you may step on a crack in the road.
I hope this isn't too snarky, but it's just something that's been bugging me lately...
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Checking In
I started this whole nutritional correction plan on January 23, so I thought now would be a good time to give a bit of an update.
I'm still sticking to my guns with the diet program; 4-5 meals a day, 2-3 servings of veggies with each meal (sometimes that comes in supplement form), a lean protein with each meal, and zero calorie beverages (you wouldn't believe how much green tea I've had this month). I've been hovering at 197 for the last 2-3 days so it's safe to say I've lost about 11 pounds this month. That seems like a huge amount of weight for somebody my size, but, as I said earlier, I think most of it may be water-related (some sources quote up to 75%). Now, before anyone can accuse me of doing this unhealthily, let me say that I'm not counting calories and I am definitely not starving myself. Here's what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast
~20oz shake including: protein powder, banana, peanut butter, cottage cheese, Greens+, creatine, and cinnamon.
2 fish oil pills
Snacks
6-8 cups of green tea (over the course of the day)
Lunch
A butternut squash, chicken breast, onion, and apple concoction (It used to be a casserole, but apparently it is now a cassouperole)
Snack
Another 20oz. shake
Some pecans when I got home from work with a few spoonfuls of peanut butter
Dinner
A casserole including: bison, zucchini, onion, cottage cheese, and eggs (this was awesome and I had a double serving!)
So yeah, there you go, definitely not starving over here.
I've just completed the second week of working in a commercial gym, and I enjoy it so far. It's been a little slow, and I'm not really much of a salesman (I don't even really try...), but it is fun to hang out in the gym in the morning and get my workouts in early. I'm still looking for a few more clients to keep me busy and help me get a little more comfortable, but 2 is a good start.
Education-wise I'm looking forward to a National Strength and Conditioning Association Regional Conference in March, a few one-day seminars put on by the gym I work at, a Sports Nutrition diploma program I recently applied to, and I'm looking forward to attending one of Perform Better's 3-day Functional Training Summits over the summer. That's a lot on the plate, but it's awesome that so many things are so readily available in this field. All you have to do is want it.
I'm still sticking to my guns with the diet program; 4-5 meals a day, 2-3 servings of veggies with each meal (sometimes that comes in supplement form), a lean protein with each meal, and zero calorie beverages (you wouldn't believe how much green tea I've had this month). I've been hovering at 197 for the last 2-3 days so it's safe to say I've lost about 11 pounds this month. That seems like a huge amount of weight for somebody my size, but, as I said earlier, I think most of it may be water-related (some sources quote up to 75%). Now, before anyone can accuse me of doing this unhealthily, let me say that I'm not counting calories and I am definitely not starving myself. Here's what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast
~20oz shake including: protein powder, banana, peanut butter, cottage cheese, Greens+, creatine, and cinnamon.
2 fish oil pills
Snacks
6-8 cups of green tea (over the course of the day)
Lunch
A butternut squash, chicken breast, onion, and apple concoction (It used to be a casserole, but apparently it is now a cassouperole)
Snack
Another 20oz. shake
Some pecans when I got home from work with a few spoonfuls of peanut butter
Dinner
A casserole including: bison, zucchini, onion, cottage cheese, and eggs (this was awesome and I had a double serving!)
So yeah, there you go, definitely not starving over here.
I've just completed the second week of working in a commercial gym, and I enjoy it so far. It's been a little slow, and I'm not really much of a salesman (I don't even really try...), but it is fun to hang out in the gym in the morning and get my workouts in early. I'm still looking for a few more clients to keep me busy and help me get a little more comfortable, but 2 is a good start.
Education-wise I'm looking forward to a National Strength and Conditioning Association Regional Conference in March, a few one-day seminars put on by the gym I work at, a Sports Nutrition diploma program I recently applied to, and I'm looking forward to attending one of Perform Better's 3-day Functional Training Summits over the summer. That's a lot on the plate, but it's awesome that so many things are so readily available in this field. All you have to do is want it.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Can you believe it?
A full week of work off, and I couldn't manage to come up with a single post until I returned to work... Shame on me. Ha! Well, I've kept myself pretty busy over the last week. It's hard to get blog posts in when you're building sled ramps off your front porch, walking 2 miles in a blizzard, interviewing for jobs as a personal trainer, and playing a little Call of Duty on the Xbox.
The news of this week is that I did in fact get hired at Results Gym. I walked over for an interview on Tuesday and was called back in on Wednesday to teach abs classes. All of this without any paperwork whatsoever. So, I am hoping to be paid for that... It's going to be fairly memorable since it was officialy a blizzard at the time I decided to make the 1 hour trek to the gym, and I can't say it was too comfortable outside. All of these things were probably compounded by having not bought a pair of winter/snow boots yet, but I can't be prepared for everything.
The classes were fun and I learned a valuable lesson: Don't participate while teaching abs. Especially when you are doing 6 classes in 2.5 hours. I had the meanest abdominal cramp ever in the middle of the 6th session. Luckily, I was able to get through it without whining like a little girl, but I did have to pull up and teach for the remainder of that class. I have never had a cramp there before, but it's just like getting a hamstring cramp while in the backseat of a car. You shoot up into a stretched position trying to alleviate the pain all the while trying to play it off like nothing to those around you.
In dieting news, I'm still going strong. There has been a grand total of 2 cheat meals since I started (I think I'm allowed 3-4 a week), and the weight is steadily going down. It's actually fairly visible at this point. I was 208 when I started and weighed in at 199 this morning. I think in order to be where I want to be body fat percentage-wise I need to be closer to 190... So I'll just keep pushing it in the gym and sticking to my protein and veggies. Last night was a delicious recipe; Acorn Squash stuffed with chicken, onions, and celery flavored with a little thyme. It was awesome! I'm looking forward to doing some almond-crusted sea scallops for Valentine's this weekend.
My first real client is Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to getting started. As always, I'll keep things relatively up-to-date!
The news of this week is that I did in fact get hired at Results Gym. I walked over for an interview on Tuesday and was called back in on Wednesday to teach abs classes. All of this without any paperwork whatsoever. So, I am hoping to be paid for that... It's going to be fairly memorable since it was officialy a blizzard at the time I decided to make the 1 hour trek to the gym, and I can't say it was too comfortable outside. All of these things were probably compounded by having not bought a pair of winter/snow boots yet, but I can't be prepared for everything.
The classes were fun and I learned a valuable lesson: Don't participate while teaching abs. Especially when you are doing 6 classes in 2.5 hours. I had the meanest abdominal cramp ever in the middle of the 6th session. Luckily, I was able to get through it without whining like a little girl, but I did have to pull up and teach for the remainder of that class. I have never had a cramp there before, but it's just like getting a hamstring cramp while in the backseat of a car. You shoot up into a stretched position trying to alleviate the pain all the while trying to play it off like nothing to those around you.
In dieting news, I'm still going strong. There has been a grand total of 2 cheat meals since I started (I think I'm allowed 3-4 a week), and the weight is steadily going down. It's actually fairly visible at this point. I was 208 when I started and weighed in at 199 this morning. I think in order to be where I want to be body fat percentage-wise I need to be closer to 190... So I'll just keep pushing it in the gym and sticking to my protein and veggies. Last night was a delicious recipe; Acorn Squash stuffed with chicken, onions, and celery flavored with a little thyme. It was awesome! I'm looking forward to doing some almond-crusted sea scallops for Valentine's this weekend.
My first real client is Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to getting started. As always, I'll keep things relatively up-to-date!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day 5
Although I didn't immerse myself completely into this nutritional adjustment on Saturday, I still consider it the beginning. Baby steps had been taken in the week prior by removing calorie-laden beverages from the menu and replacing them with water and green tea (sometimes flavored with Splenda, which has its own issues...Interestingly, it was discovered by scientists developing pesticides), and now I have completely given myself to this new way of eating.
Probably one of the greatest tips I've received in the first 5 days is the art of "sneaking" calories in and out of your diet. Although many people are in the diet game to lose weight, there are still plenty looking to put on muscle. Sneaking is effective at both. The basis behind it is that you are not technically going to be consuming less food, but you will be consuming fewer calories.
For example, you can take replace the sugar in your coffee for a no-calorie sweetener like Splenda or stevia, switch up your yogurt for low-fat yogurt (or vice versa if you're looking to put weight on), or you could just switch from high fat ground beef to a lean grass-fed variety. All of these are great ways of tricking your body, and will be put to good use in my current set up.
Cooking and Preparation
Even though there really isn't any format to this particular post, I really thought these pieces of the nutritional puzzle needed to be emphasized. Cooking and preparation are really the most important part to being successful. I'm realizing this more and more as we move forward. I mean, we've heard it hundreds of times... "
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." I've been lucky enough to have spent some time in the kitchen already, so chopping veggies, pre-cooking meats for the week, and putting together a meal on the fly hasn't been quite the struggle I've seen in others. The idea is that you need to set aside some time each week or even day to preparing for the next few meals. This is easily done!
Cooking more versatile foods during this time can help keep anyone from dietary boredom. My favorite choice is a package of chicken thighs (although now I've completed the "sneak" and I've moved to breasts). 8 chicen thighs are easily roasted in the oven in about 25-30 minutes. That's 8 meals I can use. Chicken can be chopped up for salads, eaten plain, mixed with curry sauce, added to soups, or really anything you can think of. So, as I look forward to the rest of the week, I know I've got a load of pre-cooked breasts just sitting in the fridge waiting to be consumed. All I have to do now is decide the arrangement....
So that's just a little insight as to what I'm going to be doing/changing over the next few months. Keep in mind that this includes 4 days a week of resistance training and another couple days of cardio work.
Probably one of the greatest tips I've received in the first 5 days is the art of "sneaking" calories in and out of your diet. Although many people are in the diet game to lose weight, there are still plenty looking to put on muscle. Sneaking is effective at both. The basis behind it is that you are not technically going to be consuming less food, but you will be consuming fewer calories.
For example, you can take replace the sugar in your coffee for a no-calorie sweetener like Splenda or stevia, switch up your yogurt for low-fat yogurt (or vice versa if you're looking to put weight on), or you could just switch from high fat ground beef to a lean grass-fed variety. All of these are great ways of tricking your body, and will be put to good use in my current set up.
Cooking and Preparation
Even though there really isn't any format to this particular post, I really thought these pieces of the nutritional puzzle needed to be emphasized. Cooking and preparation are really the most important part to being successful. I'm realizing this more and more as we move forward. I mean, we've heard it hundreds of times... "
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." I've been lucky enough to have spent some time in the kitchen already, so chopping veggies, pre-cooking meats for the week, and putting together a meal on the fly hasn't been quite the struggle I've seen in others. The idea is that you need to set aside some time each week or even day to preparing for the next few meals. This is easily done!
Cooking more versatile foods during this time can help keep anyone from dietary boredom. My favorite choice is a package of chicken thighs (although now I've completed the "sneak" and I've moved to breasts). 8 chicen thighs are easily roasted in the oven in about 25-30 minutes. That's 8 meals I can use. Chicken can be chopped up for salads, eaten plain, mixed with curry sauce, added to soups, or really anything you can think of. So, as I look forward to the rest of the week, I know I've got a load of pre-cooked breasts just sitting in the fridge waiting to be consumed. All I have to do now is decide the arrangement....
So that's just a little insight as to what I'm going to be doing/changing over the next few months. Keep in mind that this includes 4 days a week of resistance training and another couple days of cardio work.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Certified.
So, I finally got my results after a long weekend of skiing and checking my email for news from the certifying agency. I am now a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, so that's pretty fun news! Those questions about what to do now are still out there, but at least I have the credential to back up any job search I may do. I'll most likely look into some part time work on the weekends and evenings with a potential foray into the realm of pre-breakfast training... We'll see what happens, but that's pretty exciting for now.
In other news Dave and I will be starting a bit of a diet soon, so we'll take some pictures and get back with more of that accountability stuff that I mentioned earlier. I may wait 8 weeks to show you before and afters... We'll see what happens, but hopefully I'll have some fun results for you. Biggest change for today is moving to nothing but calorie free beverages... I love milk (2% is the best!) and I usually enjoy a bit of coffee with my cream and sugar in the mornings. It'll be tougher once we start taking away more, but at first glance it doesn't look too severe. Like I said, I'll keep you updated.
In other news Dave and I will be starting a bit of a diet soon, so we'll take some pictures and get back with more of that accountability stuff that I mentioned earlier. I may wait 8 weeks to show you before and afters... We'll see what happens, but hopefully I'll have some fun results for you. Biggest change for today is moving to nothing but calorie free beverages... I love milk (2% is the best!) and I usually enjoy a bit of coffee with my cream and sugar in the mornings. It'll be tougher once we start taking away more, but at first glance it doesn't look too severe. Like I said, I'll keep you updated.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Good Day for Blogging?
I've always thought that boring days at work were good days to blog, but I'm finding out otherwise today. Not only does a lack of work feel unproductive, it's spreading to my mind.... I'm even having issues reading through articles this morning. It must be a combination of boredom and just being anxious to get to Vermont this weekend. I haven't seen Megan in over a week, and we're doing a long weekend ski trip with some friends if we can ever get out of work and get to it!
I do have a bit of a story from this week though. It involves heavy weights and having them delivered to work... I bought a weighted vest online a few weeks ago and have been waiting for it to arrive. As I waited, two other items were shipped and dropped off in an office on the first floor of my building. I made mention of a third package that would be "fairly heavy," and that they should have the delivery man bring the package to my office on the third floor. I probably don't need to say that they didn't really heed my advice.
My 84lbs. weighted vest came wrapped up nicely in a box on Monday... I happened to be out at lunch, and the office downstairs wanted to unload the box into our office. Of course, they didn't ask the delivery guys to do it, so they pushed it into the elevator down the hall and pressed the 3rd floor button. My poor coworker had to walk out in the hall to greet the elevator with my vest, and now, to her surprise, she finds this ridiculously heavy box in the middle of the floor. She made it clear that it was a struggle to get it down the hall and into our office (I guess I owe her?).
Now the issue of getting this thing to my car... I park about a quarter mile away from work, so that's not really a bad walk, but I couldn't exactly carry 84lbs. to my car - esp. down 3-4 flights of stairs and back up another. I decided the best way would be to load up the vest (turns out that 84 lbs. comes in 1 pound increments! Awesome.), and just throw it on underneath my jacket. I've got a heavy, loose pea coat that I figured would cover it up pretty well.... I should've taken a picture of it, but without a picture let's just say that I could barely get my buttons together once I had the vest on. It's a little skinnier without being fully loaded, but it adds a good 6-8 inches to your waistline when fully stocked up. I felt like one of those barrel-chested strongmen. Maybe like I belonged in the circus a little bit...
We don't work in the best of neighborhoods over here, so I fit in great. Like some red-faced, slow-walking, scared dude with a bullet-proof vest conspicuously filling out my jacket. The walk wasn't horrible though, but it's hard to imagine having to get around as a 295 pound man all the time...
I do have a bit of a story from this week though. It involves heavy weights and having them delivered to work... I bought a weighted vest online a few weeks ago and have been waiting for it to arrive. As I waited, two other items were shipped and dropped off in an office on the first floor of my building. I made mention of a third package that would be "fairly heavy," and that they should have the delivery man bring the package to my office on the third floor. I probably don't need to say that they didn't really heed my advice.
My 84lbs. weighted vest came wrapped up nicely in a box on Monday... I happened to be out at lunch, and the office downstairs wanted to unload the box into our office. Of course, they didn't ask the delivery guys to do it, so they pushed it into the elevator down the hall and pressed the 3rd floor button. My poor coworker had to walk out in the hall to greet the elevator with my vest, and now, to her surprise, she finds this ridiculously heavy box in the middle of the floor. She made it clear that it was a struggle to get it down the hall and into our office (I guess I owe her?).
Now the issue of getting this thing to my car... I park about a quarter mile away from work, so that's not really a bad walk, but I couldn't exactly carry 84lbs. to my car - esp. down 3-4 flights of stairs and back up another. I decided the best way would be to load up the vest (turns out that 84 lbs. comes in 1 pound increments! Awesome.), and just throw it on underneath my jacket. I've got a heavy, loose pea coat that I figured would cover it up pretty well.... I should've taken a picture of it, but without a picture let's just say that I could barely get my buttons together once I had the vest on. It's a little skinnier without being fully loaded, but it adds a good 6-8 inches to your waistline when fully stocked up. I felt like one of those barrel-chested strongmen. Maybe like I belonged in the circus a little bit...
We don't work in the best of neighborhoods over here, so I fit in great. Like some red-faced, slow-walking, scared dude with a bullet-proof vest conspicuously filling out my jacket. The walk wasn't horrible though, but it's hard to imagine having to get around as a 295 pound man all the time...
Friday, January 8, 2010
Accountability
I'm taking the Certified Personal Trainer exam tomorrow afternoon. I guess I'm writing this so I make sure I study tonight... If everyone knows I'm taking the exam then you (all 2-3 of you who read this) can call me out if I don't manage to pass the thing. I'm pretty confident though, and as long as I show up for the test on time I should manage just fine.
Once I complete the test it raises other questions... Should I start working at a gym? Will I pick up some clients for the home gym? What's the next bit of education for me?
So there you have it, now I'm accountable to you for whatever happens tomorrow at exam time. Who knows, maybe I'll go beyond the lifting and exam taking and branch out into my diet! Ha, that would most likely be a fail of epic proportions...
I'll try to answer those other questions in the next few weeks...
Once I complete the test it raises other questions... Should I start working at a gym? Will I pick up some clients for the home gym? What's the next bit of education for me?
So there you have it, now I'm accountable to you for whatever happens tomorrow at exam time. Who knows, maybe I'll go beyond the lifting and exam taking and branch out into my diet! Ha, that would most likely be a fail of epic proportions...
I'll try to answer those other questions in the next few weeks...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
