Friday 100110

Strength

1a) Bench Press, 3x5

1b) Bent over BB row, 3x10

Aerobic Capacity

Tempo Runs x10 (approximately 1:2 work to rest)

The tempo runs will be performed by running a full lap in the gym (including the stairs). You'll then rest for about twice as long as it took to complete the lap. You'll have to experiment with how fast you can go on the run. If you go too fast you won't be able to sustain that for all ten reps. If you run too slow, well, I'll let you know if you're running too slow.

Thursday 093010

Strength:

1) Deadlift, 3x5

2a) Walking DB Lunges, 3x5 each leg (heavy)

2b) Bench Hip Lifts, 3x10

Anaerobic Capacity:

10 seconds on, 50 seconds off of:

Push press, 65/45

Step-up jumps

KB jumps, 16/12kg

5 yard shuttle run

For the anaerobic capacity training, you'll start at one exercise, do as many reps as possible in 10 seconds, then get 50 seconds to rest before rotating to the next exercise. KB jumps will be performed by holding one KB between your legs, dropping into a quarter squat, exploding up as high as you can, and repeating as fast as possible for the time. For the shuttle run, two cones will be set 5 yards apart and you will simply run back and forth between them as many times as possible in 10 seconds.

A little deadlift wisdom from Rip.

092910 - Pressin' & Pullin'

Wednesday's Workout:

Strength

1a) Press, 3x5

1b) Pullups, 5x6

2) Partner MB Rotational Throws, 2x10 each side

Aerobic Capacity

22 minutes for rounds of:

30 Double Unders/90 Single Unders

30 Ball Slams, 10/8lb (non-bouncing)

30 Jumping Pullups

30 KB Swings, 16/12kg

30 KB Goblet Walking Lunges, 16/12kg

30 Wall Balls

Again, with the aerobic capacity circuit, the goal is to maintain a sustainable rate of work. If you're going so fast that you need to rest more than what is necessary to switch exercises, you're going too fast.

Also, if you're interested, this weekend there is a competition that combines Olympic style weightlifting (i.e. lifting as much weight as possible in the snatch and clean & jerk) with CrossFit. Here is a link to the details of the competition including a schedule and the scoring format. I also believe the event will be streamed live online for free but am not sure where that link is. I'll keep you posted.

0928010 - Squat Day

Tuesday's Workout:

Strength

1a) Back Squat, 3x5

2a) Goodmornings, 3x10

2b) Weighted Front Bridges, 3x30 seconds

Anaerobic Capacity

Every 45 seconds sprint up stairs

Remaining time is rest

12 minutes of work (16 reps)

092410 - Bench Press

Friday's Workout

Strength

1a) Bench Press, 3x5

1b) Bent over BB row, 3x10

2) DB Side Bends, 3x10 each side

Aerobic Capacity

20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 4 rounds (16 minutes):

Box Jumps (step down)

Air Squats

Push Press, 45/30lb

Rope Jumping, doubles or singles

The why...

The how...

092310 - Deadlifts & Anaerobic Power

Thursday's Workout:

Movement prep - Foam rolling 1 minute each (7 min. total)

Glutes (R&L)

Hamstrings (R&L)

Adductors (R&L)

Erectors

Strength

Deadlift, 3x5

Walking DB Lunges, 3x5 each

Bench Hip Lifts, 3x10

Anaerobic Power

21-15-9 of:

KB Swings, 24/16kg

Burpees

The strength training should be pretty straight forward. As for the anaerobic power circuit, it should be hard, fast, but quick. It should take less than 4 minutes to complete this workout. You really shouldn't have to stop and rest at all. We will scale it by reducing the number of reps to 18-12-6 if necessary to make that happen. Start thinking about that.

Andy Bolton: to my knowledge, the only person to ever pull over 1000lb. Impressive.

092210 - Rest Day Education

First of all, even though there won't be a planned workout for tomorrow morning, I will be at the gym so if you want to come in and work on your weaknesses (e.g. double unders, flexibility issues, etc.) I'll be available to help you out with that. Or if you need to make up a workout (ahem, Matt), you can do that as well. On to the distribution of information...

Here's a video by a guy named Kelly Starrett who is extremely knowledgable in the area of mobility and improving movement quality. He has a blog and every day he posts a video demonstrating a mobility workout for the day. I highly recommend it. Here's one of his videos going over how to improve mobility in the ankle joint and how to maintain a healthy Achilles' tendon.

Secondly, to get the most out of your fitness program, you should have a basic understanding of the principles that make up the foundation of training. This article summarizes these principles accurately and also in a manner that is pretty understandable. I'd like for you to read it, try and understand it as well as possible, and then post any questions that you have to the comments section so everybody can see them. I'll do my best to answer the questions in a timely manner. Remember, I won't always be around to lead you on your quest for fitness. Start to take some ownership in that journey and I guarantee you'll see more lasting benefits than those who are content to just be spoon-fed workouts. Don't be average.

092110 - OH Strength & Aerobic Capacity

Tuesday's Workout:

Strength

Press, 3x5

Pullups, 4x10

Partner MB Rotational Throws, 3x10 each

Aerobic Capacity

20 minutes of:

15 Double Unders

15 Ball Slams

15 Jumping Pullups

15 KB Swings, 16/12kg

15 KB Goblet Walking Lunges, 16/12kg

15 Wall Balls, 12/8lb

The press and the pullups will be done in a superset, alternating between the two each set. On the aerobic capacity circuit, the idea is not to do absolutely as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes, but rather to establish a pace that allows you to sustain the effort for the entire time. For example, you may be able to do 15 ball slams in 15 seconds, but that type of speed wouldn't be maintainable for the entire time. Instead, maybe you do the 15 slams in 30 seconds and that way never need to take an excessively long rest period. That's the idea here.

Great job on the squats and sprints this morning. I loved everybody's effort.

092910 - Back Squat & Anaerobic Capacity

Monday's WOD:

Strength

Back Squat, 3x5

Barbell Good Mornings, 3x10

Weighted Front Bridges, 3x30 seconds

Anaerobic Capacity

Every minute on the minute for 12 minutes run a resisted band sprint

You'll have a band around your waist held by your partner who will provide resistance as you run the length of the court. You'll then switch with your partner and they'll run back. The remainder of the minute is your rest.

Footwear and Nutrition

Footwear:

We were talking a bit about footwear and I wanted to give you some more information on what to where and when. When we're doing barbell training or you're in a situation where you're standing, applying force into the ground and trying to move a load, the more cushioned the shoe, the worse it is. What happens is some of that force you are trying to put into the ground (and in turn lift the load) is lost in compressing the cushioning within the shoe. Therefore, running shoes, basketball shoes, even some cross-trainers end up not being good options. My recommendation would either be to go barefoot/Vibram Five Fingers (there is essentially no material to be compressed between your foot and the ground) or use weightlifting shoes.

There are two things that make weightlifting shoes unique. First, they have a very hard sole, usually made of hard rubber or wood, with minimal cushioning in them. Second, they have a raised heel which, as I've mentioned and done with some of you before using plates under your heels, artificially increases your ankle's ability to dorsiflex, therefore making it easier to get into a biomechanically sound position from which squat, deadlift, push press, etc. Check out this website for reviews on some of the different brands and styles of weightlifting shoes out there before purchasing a pair. If you're really interested here's an article discussing the history of weightlifting shoes and why they're designed like they are. If you get a pair, remember that you're going to be using them just for barbell training. You won't wear them out on the town or even do any running in them. That being the case, they should last a long time. While they can be pricey, you shouldn't need to buy a new pair each year. Feel free to ask me more questions and I'll even bring my pair in sometime to show you if you'd like.

Nutrition:

I'll try not to overwhelm you with information; there is a lot to discuss regarding this topic. I should warn you ahead of time that my take on nutrition tends to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. But if you consider that conventional wisdom is what most people adhere to and the fact that most people are unhealthy and/or overweight, then maybe conventional wisdom isn't as wise as we think.

In short, my dietary recommendation is to eat plenty of animal meat (beef, poultry, seafood, eggs, pork), lots of vegetables, some fruit, and good amounts of healthy fat from sources such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut products. Stay away from grains, especially gluten containing ones (i.e. wheat), legumes (peanuts are legumes not nuts), and possibly dairy (situation dependent). And if it has a long shelf life, its not food so don't eat it. Food spoils if its not eaten fairly soon after picking/killing it.

This way of eating is commonly known as paleo or primal eating, meaning eating foods that are real, natural, and have been around forever. If you google paleo diet you'll find oodles of information going into greater detail about it. Basically, by following a diet like this, we are able to take control of insulin and get our hormones in check, minimize inflammation within the body (even inflammation that you can't see or feel), and take care of autoimmune issues such as diabetes, arthritis, Crohns disease, and ulcerative colitis. I will admit that my formal education is not in nutrition and that I have not read all of the information out there concerning these issues and the effects of a paleo diet on them. But I know from anecdotal evidence (in my own experience and that of other people I know) that this stuff works. It requires a change in mindset and perspective on food, but if you want to look, feel, and perform better, this is where I'd start.

Robb Wolf (website may be down for a day or two; he's updating it) is one of the foremost experts and proponents of the paleo diet and this is an interview he did a couple weeks ago which provides a good overview of what the paleo diet is, how it works, and what it looks like. You can listen to it from that link or download the podcast of it free from iTunes by searching for Underground Wellness and finding the episode about the Paleolithic Solution. Again, come to me with your questions and I'll do my best to answer them and help you implement this. It will be worth it for you.

Week of Sept. 13

6:30 AM Performance School Plan for the week:

Monday:

Back Squat - work up to a weight right below the point where form breaks down (determined by me). 3 sets of 5 reps with that weight.

Press - same format as back squat

Short Metcon

Tuesday:

Pullups - we will work up to a 5-10 repetition maximum using whatever band necessary. Then perform 3 drop sets with a stronger band or combination of bands for max reps.

16 minute Interval Metcon

Thursday:

Deadlift - work up to 3 sets of 5 reps with a weight just before the breakdown of form

Walking DB Lunges - 3 sets of 5 reps each leg

Tempo Runs?

Friday:

Push Press - work up to 3 sets of 5 reps

Tabata Squat & 4 minute AMRAP Pushups

Lets's have a great week team!

Proper Hip Function and Why You Need It

Anybody that’s done much training with me can vouch for the fact that I have my athletes (and myself for that matter in my own training) do a lot of squatting, lunging, deadlifting, jumping, sprinting, and kettlebell swinging. And not only do we do a lot of those exercises and their variations, but I harp on proper technique and using a full range of motion.

Why do I like all of these exercises? Because these are some of the best exercises (and the Olympic Lifts) for developing proper strength, range of motion, and overall function of the hip joint. But why strong, healthy hips? What’s that matter? I would venture to say that more so than any other joint, the hip has the most significant effect, positive or negative, on the overall health and function of the rest of the body. Do you have knee pain when you go for a run or walk up the stairs? Check your hips. Does your back hurt when you pick something up off the ground? Examine your hips. Shoulders hurt when you reach overhead? Probably related to your hips.

I would also make the case that the majority of movements you perform doing day-to-day activities center on your hips doing their job properly. Walking, sitting, standing, climbing into your truck, riding your bike, picking up your kids, carrying anything, sports, all of these use your hips to at least a minimal degree.

Let’s perform a little thought experiment. Say your shoulder is hurt and you’re in a sling. What can’t you do? Better yet, what can you still do? You can still get through the day fairly well. Sure, there are some things that are going to be inconvenient or annoying to do, but for the most part you can still function as you should.

What about your knee? If your knee is immobilized, you're definitely more reduced in your functioning, but you could still hobble around on one leg and a pair of crutches, can probably work your way up a flight of stairs, and you can still sit down and stand up (albeit awkwardly).

Now what if just one of your hips were totally immobilized? I hope you like bed rest because you’re not going anywhere or doing anything! And it bothers me how many people I see on a daily basis who to some degree or another don’t have full functioning of their hips and it limits what they can do. Sometimes they don’t even seem to care or notice. They’re so used to less than optimal hip function that they don’t know what they’re missing out on.

And all of that is why I pick the exercises that I do for myself and my athletes. I could go on about the specific mechanics about these exercises and how and why they work, but that would be a lengthy post. Instead I’ll direct your attention to this article about the why and how of proper squatting. Also take a look at the video below of Mark Rippetoe (the coach when it comes to barbell training) explaining the role of the hamstrings in front squats and back squats and the subtle differences between the two. Post any thoughts, questions or clarifications to comments.