Today I hit 2 PR's! Whoa, it has been a while.
106kg Clean and Jerk
12 consecutive muscle ups.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Shakeology
Recently a friend asked me about my views on this product called 'Shakeology', and if it works.
Everything works. This is good vegetables blended up..and if you are replacing fast food or generally shit food with a bunch of vegetables it will definitely work. Since you will be spending big money on this product, you will probably not want to spend as much eating out, and drinking a ton of bad calories because you wouldn't want to waste money and you want to see results. This product will work great for people who don't have time to prepare meals and don't mind spending the money.
There is no substitute for eating fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables can be blended up the same way as Shakeology. Of course they will not taste the same. With many of these kinds of diets, shakes, slimfast, special K, all you do is replace a bad meal with one with vitamins and protein and fiber. Here is my version of shakeology:
Sometimes you just don't want to eat your veggies. Drinking them can be quicker and easier.
Dark leafy greens, chunk of banana, whey and water.
How did it taste? like blended greens, chunk of banana, whey and water! I am sure you already assume that the shakeology isn't going to taste like fuh-king Jamba Juice! But you'd still drink it for the results. Sometimes you just have to override bad taste, discomfort, and 'i don't want to' for the sake of nutrition, fitness/health, and exercise. Trust me, there are many days that I don't want to train because I hurt. Overridden! I do something, just not nothing.
So my advice was :
Sure try the shake, but work on getting your priorities straight. Practice preparing your own meals, so when you go broke from buying a bag of shakeology a week, you will not be overwhelmed when you quit the shakes.
Remember everything works. Just follow the instructions.
Everything works. This is good vegetables blended up..and if you are replacing fast food or generally shit food with a bunch of vegetables it will definitely work. Since you will be spending big money on this product, you will probably not want to spend as much eating out, and drinking a ton of bad calories because you wouldn't want to waste money and you want to see results. This product will work great for people who don't have time to prepare meals and don't mind spending the money.
There is no substitute for eating fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables can be blended up the same way as Shakeology. Of course they will not taste the same. With many of these kinds of diets, shakes, slimfast, special K, all you do is replace a bad meal with one with vitamins and protein and fiber. Here is my version of shakeology:
Sometimes you just don't want to eat your veggies. Drinking them can be quicker and easier.
Dark leafy greens, chunk of banana, whey and water.
How did it taste? like blended greens, chunk of banana, whey and water! I am sure you already assume that the shakeology isn't going to taste like fuh-king Jamba Juice! But you'd still drink it for the results. Sometimes you just have to override bad taste, discomfort, and 'i don't want to' for the sake of nutrition, fitness/health, and exercise. Trust me, there are many days that I don't want to train because I hurt. Overridden! I do something, just not nothing.
So my advice was :
Sure try the shake, but work on getting your priorities straight. Practice preparing your own meals, so when you go broke from buying a bag of shakeology a week, you will not be overwhelmed when you quit the shakes.
Remember everything works. Just follow the instructions.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
First post of 2012. (5 months late!)
It has been a while since I have written anything, but I have had situations and questions that have come my way that I want to divulge.
As a coach, many of the questions that come my way are "how can I improve?"or "what did you do to get where you are now?"
I think my answer is to these questions is: 'do things right'. I am a bit of a technician. It's the way I teach, the way I learn, and the way I train myself. There are many ways to do something wrong and only a few ways to do something right. Study the right way to do something and (try to) never do it wrong. Progress slowly. I am not the one in the gym to push beyond my technique. Remember, Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity.
So as far as general training advice. This is what you have to do in no particular order:
-Eat right. Lots of meat and vegetables. Eliminate grains and sugar and alcohol ideally.
-Sleep an adequate amount ~8 continuous hours a night.
-Drink lots of water.
-Lift heavy things (barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, stones, kegs, people, sandbags, anything.)
-Lift lighter things with a higher volume.
-Lift medium sized things at a moderate volume.
-Push or pull against gravity at a variety of angles off various apparatuses, add weight sometimes.
-Balance your training between your left and right side and your front and your back side and your upper and lower body.
-Train bilaterally, unilaterally and with odd shaped/sized objects.
-Train your grip.
-Increase your neck strength.
-Emphasize the posterior chain (hamstrings, butt and back) in your training.
-Train clean and jerk and snatch.
-Improve your front squat, deadlift and push press before you try to clean and jerk heavy.
-Improve your snatch-grip deadlift and overhead squat before you try to snatch heavy.
-Mobilize everything: hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, and spine.
-Get or stay flexible.
-Play on the rings a bunch for upper body strength.
-Run, jump, climb, crawl, roll, skip, bound...move your body from point A to point B in various ways.
-Take your shoes of more often.
-Do not stress.
-Do not get injured.
-Enjoy what you are doing. The journey is the fun part.
-Breathe.
-Be Patient.
As a coach, many of the questions that come my way are "how can I improve?"or "what did you do to get where you are now?"
I think my answer is to these questions is: 'do things right'. I am a bit of a technician. It's the way I teach, the way I learn, and the way I train myself. There are many ways to do something wrong and only a few ways to do something right. Study the right way to do something and (try to) never do it wrong. Progress slowly. I am not the one in the gym to push beyond my technique. Remember, Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity.
So as far as general training advice. This is what you have to do in no particular order:
-Eat right. Lots of meat and vegetables. Eliminate grains and sugar and alcohol ideally.
-Sleep an adequate amount ~8 continuous hours a night.
-Drink lots of water.
-Lift heavy things (barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, stones, kegs, people, sandbags, anything.)
-Lift lighter things with a higher volume.
-Lift medium sized things at a moderate volume.
-Push or pull against gravity at a variety of angles off various apparatuses, add weight sometimes.
-Balance your training between your left and right side and your front and your back side and your upper and lower body.
-Train bilaterally, unilaterally and with odd shaped/sized objects.
-Train your grip.
-Increase your neck strength.
-Emphasize the posterior chain (hamstrings, butt and back) in your training.
-Train clean and jerk and snatch.
-Improve your front squat, deadlift and push press before you try to clean and jerk heavy.
-Improve your snatch-grip deadlift and overhead squat before you try to snatch heavy.
-Mobilize everything: hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, and spine.
-Get or stay flexible.
-Play on the rings a bunch for upper body strength.
-Run, jump, climb, crawl, roll, skip, bound...move your body from point A to point B in various ways.
-Take your shoes of more often.
-Do not stress.
-Do not get injured.
-Enjoy what you are doing. The journey is the fun part.
-Breathe.
-Be Patient.
Monday, December 12, 2011
My second Oly Meet.
WCCF
Snatch
66-70(old PR)-75(PR)
Clean and Jerk
98(old PR)-100(New PR)-103(New PR)
Snatch
66-70(old PR)-75(PR)
Clean and Jerk
98(old PR)-100(New PR)-103(New PR)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Things I need to work on
Hip Stability
I have a tendency to rotate a bit when coming out of the bottom of the squat. I have been experiencing some pain in my hip flexor of my right leg.
I need to incorporate more single leg movements and really load through my hip to activate my glute.
Lower Trap and Lat Activation
I need to just do more JC band pulls and pull ups while focusing on activation of those muscles.
Glute Strength
I am going to start experimenting with hip thrusts. A Bret Contreras specialty. Success story of hip thrusts.
Foot and Ankle Strength
Just having had tons of different injuries to my ankles, I know and feel that there is just general weakness in my ankles, especially on my right side. This also could be the cause of my right hip issue.
The single leg work should help improve stability.
I have a tendency to rotate a bit when coming out of the bottom of the squat. I have been experiencing some pain in my hip flexor of my right leg.
I need to incorporate more single leg movements and really load through my hip to activate my glute.
Lower Trap and Lat Activation
I need to just do more JC band pulls and pull ups while focusing on activation of those muscles.
Glute Strength
I am going to start experimenting with hip thrusts. A Bret Contreras specialty. Success story of hip thrusts.
Foot and Ankle Strength
Just having had tons of different injuries to my ankles, I know and feel that there is just general weakness in my ankles, especially on my right side. This also could be the cause of my right hip issue.
The single leg work should help improve stability.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Squat Thread With Dominik
Completely opposite of the the Westside method of squatting back and not down. The forces around the knee joint in figure A are obviously greater than forces at the hip. While figure B the hip is the primary mover loading from core to extremity. Even with the front squat, it would make more sense for the hips and knees to be closer to the center of gravity than one or the other. I would say that the knees generate less power thus should be closer to the midline. But this is just my opinion. I am not an expert..yet.
Dominik Pieklo
very good understanding/reasoning J-Man. True you can hoist more in figure B style of lifting. due to the mechanical advantages you've explained, which I like the reasoning very much, but figure A is meant to transfer over into front and overhead squats. Olympic Lifting. You know your shit man !
Justin Ehrhardt
Proper mechanics of a back squat will lead to a heavier back squat. A heavy back squat with proper mechanics will allow you to front squat heavy. Where a figure A back squat, is at a mechanical disadvantage; you'd forced to use a lighter weight. The combination of heavy back squats, and front squats will only naturally lead to a stronger OHS as the bar is directly overhead. But forcing unnatural positions doesn't seem worth the risk. Each movement has proper(ideal) mechanics and should be trained separately to capacity in my opinion.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
back
The keystone of the arch of a man's strength is the "small" of his back. A man may have wonderful arms and fair legs; but if he is weak in the loins and in the lower part of the back, he can never be classed as a real "Strong Man." By Alan Calvert
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
My CrossFit-defined
CrossFit is what you want it to be. It is amazing because so many various forms of training/fitness fall under the "Constantly varied, functional movements executed at high intensity." definition. In addition, strength, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, flexibility and accuracy can be trained in various ways or of varying degree. Some may feel that one general physical skill is of greater importance and should be trained over another. While another may believe the complete opposite. You can train each element individually, or using combined movements.
How do I define CrossFit?
Simply, it cannot be defined. CrossFit is so progressive and cannot be summed up into a concise definition. It is about success and survival of the fittest. Being able to pick up something heavy and pressing it overhead, carrying heavy things, pushing or pulling heavy objects, climbing, crawling, sprinting, throwing, punching, kicking, wrestling, jumping, dodging, swimming, is CrossFit. I feel that CrossFit is a test to the ultimate animal on Earth; humans. I believe that cavemen were our ancestors-primal beings that passed along genes that were built on survival. We have the caveman inside of us. Yes, it is so. We have just become soft from our technology. Many people will die within days without it! CrossFit improves survival rate. If something catastrophic happened, CrossFitters will be more apt for survival.
Ay my age, I feel that strength, power and speed top my list, while agility and accuracy are lower on my hierarchy of the 10 General Physical Skills. Of course they are all extremely important. But as you age, strength, power and speed are the first to go. I want to train these elements to extend the duration of strength, power and speed in my life.
As far as Weightlifting, Gymnastics and Monostructural,at this point in my life, weightlifting has more of my attention. Getting stronger is like trying to climb the biggest mountain...you go PAST the heights of the beginner mountains. Training for strength/power/speed through weightlifting will improve your balance, agility, coordination, cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, flexibility and accuracy, but never visa versa.
It's about art and sport.
It's about fun.
You wouldn't be enjoying it if it wasn't fun somehow. If you don't like it, goodbye. Go get on the low survival rate list.
It's about you.
I do this for me. It does something to me. It makes me want to be better. Do you want to be better or worse, at anything? If you want to be worse at something go crawl in a hole and die. Stop wasting my air.
How do I define CrossFit?
Simply, it cannot be defined. CrossFit is so progressive and cannot be summed up into a concise definition. It is about success and survival of the fittest. Being able to pick up something heavy and pressing it overhead, carrying heavy things, pushing or pulling heavy objects, climbing, crawling, sprinting, throwing, punching, kicking, wrestling, jumping, dodging, swimming, is CrossFit. I feel that CrossFit is a test to the ultimate animal on Earth; humans. I believe that cavemen were our ancestors-primal beings that passed along genes that were built on survival. We have the caveman inside of us. Yes, it is so. We have just become soft from our technology. Many people will die within days without it! CrossFit improves survival rate. If something catastrophic happened, CrossFitters will be more apt for survival.
Ay my age, I feel that strength, power and speed top my list, while agility and accuracy are lower on my hierarchy of the 10 General Physical Skills. Of course they are all extremely important. But as you age, strength, power and speed are the first to go. I want to train these elements to extend the duration of strength, power and speed in my life.
As far as Weightlifting, Gymnastics and Monostructural,at this point in my life, weightlifting has more of my attention. Getting stronger is like trying to climb the biggest mountain...you go PAST the heights of the beginner mountains. Training for strength/power/speed through weightlifting will improve your balance, agility, coordination, cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, flexibility and accuracy, but never visa versa.
It's about art and sport.
It's about fun.
You wouldn't be enjoying it if it wasn't fun somehow. If you don't like it, goodbye. Go get on the low survival rate list.
It's about you.
I do this for me. It does something to me. It makes me want to be better. Do you want to be better or worse, at anything? If you want to be worse at something go crawl in a hole and die. Stop wasting my air.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
If you care at all about your health and life.
Consider this:
If you stop breathing, most people will probably pass out in 1 to 2 minutes and suffer brain damage around 5 minutes.
"In hot conditions with no water, dehydration can set in within an hour. A baby locked in a hot car or someone who is physically overexerted in the heat without replacing fluids can actually die in a period of several hours."
Ghandi fasted without food for 21 days. Medically speaking, most doctors agree that healthy humans can go up to eight weeks without food as long as they have water.
Although these are extreme cases of strictly survival, this goes to show how important these simple components of life are often overlooked, or under appreciated. These extremes make a difference to me. I am probably not breathing enough, not drinking enough, and am overly concerned with food.
I am not going to stop breathing, drinking, or fast for any long period of time. Although these are often parts of life that just happen without any thought, you are in control of these simple life sustaining elements. The diaphragm is the primary muscle used for breathing, it can be trained through practice of diaphragmatic breathing. Drink more water and eat healthy clean food. Duh.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/death-dying/live-without-food-and-water.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_can_you_live_without_air_food_and_water
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970603.html
If you stop breathing, most people will probably pass out in 1 to 2 minutes and suffer brain damage around 5 minutes.
"In hot conditions with no water, dehydration can set in within an hour. A baby locked in a hot car or someone who is physically overexerted in the heat without replacing fluids can actually die in a period of several hours."
Ghandi fasted without food for 21 days. Medically speaking, most doctors agree that healthy humans can go up to eight weeks without food as long as they have water.
Although these are extreme cases of strictly survival, this goes to show how important these simple components of life are often overlooked, or under appreciated. These extremes make a difference to me. I am probably not breathing enough, not drinking enough, and am overly concerned with food.
I am not going to stop breathing, drinking, or fast for any long period of time. Although these are often parts of life that just happen without any thought, you are in control of these simple life sustaining elements. The diaphragm is the primary muscle used for breathing, it can be trained through practice of diaphragmatic breathing. Drink more water and eat healthy clean food. Duh.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/death-dying/live-without-food-and-water.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_can_you_live_without_air_food_and_water
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970603.html
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
OHS Test
My 15RM of OHS:
52kg
I could have gone heavier. I tried 60kg, but that was a bit too much for the amount of energy I had.
Did a 27 second L-sit on the p bar yesterday.
52kg
I could have gone heavier. I tried 60kg, but that was a bit too much for the amount of energy I had.
Did a 27 second L-sit on the p bar yesterday.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Dairy and Sprints
Sprint
Today I ran 10 x 100 yard sprints. After running drills, I ran the 100's followed by 100 yard walk recovery. If you do the math, it was only like less than 150 seconds of work. (~15s/100yard sprint) x 10 = ~150 seconds. I tell ya, a tough 150 seconds.
I have introduced dairy back into my diet. There have been some recent posts about GOMAD Diet to gain 25lbs in 25 days. GOMAD=Gallon of Milk a Day. I have not taken it to that extreme.
Week 1- 1 quart of heavy whipping cream (50 calories/tablespoon, 64 tbsp/quart = 3200 calories per quart)
Week 2- 1 quart of heavy whipping cream + 2 gallons of whole milk (150 calories/cup, 16 cups/gallon, 2400 calories/gallon) = 3200 + 2400 + 2400 = 8000 calories
So over the past 2 weeks I have increased my calorie consumption by 11,200 calories from drinking dairy.
Why am I doing this? I think this will give me a great understanding of knowing how to gain and lose weight. Of course you need to eat a lot of food in order to gain weight. I knew this, but never experienced it firsthand. I am currently less concerned about increasing my work capacity. I am more interested in gaining size to increase my strength. Although I am participating in the WCCF Olympic Weightlifting Meet on Nov. 6, I am not trying to make weight at 69kg. I will be competing against guys much larger than I, but it isn't like I am going to be doing anything at the National level anyways. I addition, I have always been the small guy. Like always. I think this milk era of my life will be fun..just seeing how big I can get. I will continue my training hitting all of the basics, deadlift, squat, shoulder press, Olympic Lifting, ring work, sprints, strongman and staying healthy. Maintaining an anabolic state is key.
Heavy things.
Today I ran 10 x 100 yard sprints. After running drills, I ran the 100's followed by 100 yard walk recovery. If you do the math, it was only like less than 150 seconds of work. (~15s/100yard sprint) x 10 = ~150 seconds. I tell ya, a tough 150 seconds.
I have introduced dairy back into my diet. There have been some recent posts about GOMAD Diet to gain 25lbs in 25 days. GOMAD=Gallon of Milk a Day. I have not taken it to that extreme.
Week 1- 1 quart of heavy whipping cream (50 calories/tablespoon, 64 tbsp/quart = 3200 calories per quart)
Week 2- 1 quart of heavy whipping cream + 2 gallons of whole milk (150 calories/cup, 16 cups/gallon, 2400 calories/gallon) = 3200 + 2400 + 2400 = 8000 calories
So over the past 2 weeks I have increased my calorie consumption by 11,200 calories from drinking dairy.
Why am I doing this? I think this will give me a great understanding of knowing how to gain and lose weight. Of course you need to eat a lot of food in order to gain weight. I knew this, but never experienced it firsthand. I am currently less concerned about increasing my work capacity. I am more interested in gaining size to increase my strength. Although I am participating in the WCCF Olympic Weightlifting Meet on Nov. 6, I am not trying to make weight at 69kg. I will be competing against guys much larger than I, but it isn't like I am going to be doing anything at the National level anyways. I addition, I have always been the small guy. Like always. I think this milk era of my life will be fun..just seeing how big I can get. I will continue my training hitting all of the basics, deadlift, squat, shoulder press, Olympic Lifting, ring work, sprints, strongman and staying healthy. Maintaining an anabolic state is key.
Heavy things.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Training these days..
This quest for fitness is such a funny one. I have these moments of why I do such things and what is all this training going to accomplish. I have learned that there really is no definite answer. I train for many different reasons which include: fun, a challenge, health, to succeed, to fail, for pride, for company, for work, to learn, to play, for mental strength, for physical strength, for longevity, and to inspire.
I always want to get better at everything at once, but know that this is impossible, as this is a journey to the end (hence the title of my blog.) Jessica and I have come up with various elements of fitness that we want to do everyday. Granted we are at the gym so often we can do these things often.
1 rope ascent
handstand walk
3 muscle ups/dips
heavy sled push and pull
pirouette
GHD sit ups/hip extension
L-sit on p bars
I have several other elements that I feel I need to add:
push ups
box squats
one arm rows
running
high rep leg swings
farmers walk
Wow. That is a complete workout, not even including the actual workout. Ridiculous.
I need some type of priority within this list. I need these: multi joint, weight bearing, hip dominant, full body, upper body, core, lower body dominant, and skill dominant, and something that wont create overuse/injury.
So what do I need? Variance. Remember it is not about training the muscles. It is about training movements. Muscles only contract when your nervous system tells the muscles to contract. Improve your nervous system through practice.
The CrossFit model is pretty simple. Blend an Olympic lifter, with a gymnast, and a track athlete to get a very well rounded (exceptional athlete).
I always want to get better at everything at once, but know that this is impossible, as this is a journey to the end (hence the title of my blog.) Jessica and I have come up with various elements of fitness that we want to do everyday. Granted we are at the gym so often we can do these things often.
1 rope ascent
handstand walk
3 muscle ups/dips
heavy sled push and pull
pirouette
GHD sit ups/hip extension
L-sit on p bars
I have several other elements that I feel I need to add:
push ups
box squats
one arm rows
running
high rep leg swings
farmers walk
Wow. That is a complete workout, not even including the actual workout. Ridiculous.
I need some type of priority within this list. I need these: multi joint, weight bearing, hip dominant, full body, upper body, core, lower body dominant, and skill dominant, and something that wont create overuse/injury.
So what do I need? Variance. Remember it is not about training the muscles. It is about training movements. Muscles only contract when your nervous system tells the muscles to contract. Improve your nervous system through practice.
The CrossFit model is pretty simple. Blend an Olympic lifter, with a gymnast, and a track athlete to get a very well rounded (exceptional athlete).
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