12/27/12 Workout; Shoulders and Amanda

Strict Press: warm up 8-10 w/bar, 55,85,and 95.
6 @ 115, 5 @ 135 x 3.

Seated Dumbbell  Shoulder Press: 3 x 10
40#, 50#, and 60#

BW Dips: 3 x 10

WOD: Amanda with bells.
9-7-5 reps for time of:
Muscle ups
KB Snatch 24kg, both sides 1 rep.
Time: 6:15


*Amanda is supposed to be done with 135# BB Squat Snatch. I got a recovery wrist so I scaled it, which felt like I made it harder.

----Turned into a 2 aday-----
7 minute EMOM
2 Power Snatches 1 OHS @ 135#

WOD: 11-9-7 reps for time
Power Cleans @ 185#
Bar facing burpees

It's a Gateway Drug...in a good way.

Anyone that has their fitness, hobby or  just that thing that they swear up and down to be the best thing since sliced bread usually has been deeply impacted by it in one way or another, and sometimes it seems that others just don't get it when you explain it to them. I believe that understanding, wisdom, opinions and the validity of your opinion should come from experience and not lack there of, and that your experiences should balance yourself as a person.  In other words, learn from your mistakes.  With that said, CrossFit changed me in so many aspects of my life that were just plain ol' wrong. I stand behind its ideas and its method as the best form of fitness implementation . Since I've opened my fitness up, I accidentally opened my entire self up to "The" greater, bigger picture.

During my 18-22 year old period I was irresponsible. Cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, inactive, promiscuous and I didn't apply myself in college. Definitely a follower. Later, like I talked about once before I was a gym rat.  Basic little big guy in the gym, as a Marine I did Marine things. Drank heavily, ready to fight anyone, women crazy and didn't put the future at the forefront of my actions. It wasn't until I became an NCO that I started squaring myself away, but even then I was still lacking.  While in Afghanistan I was going through things in my marriage, some issues that would pop up with my sons mother and just life in general.  So I have a pretty good idea of wrong, bad and how if you contribute nothing to the world you will get nothing in return, at least nothing worth having. While serving I developed a sense of charity and wanting to contribute to the world.  After a while the hardest part of my days were my WODs.  During my down time I was watching Burgener coaching videos, level 1 cert footage, demos and WOD's.  I was exposed to the idea of the CrossFit community, not unlike the military where a group of people are now bonded tighter because of the the things they endure together. I love that. How the development of it all is based on being better at life, Law Enforcement and Emergency responder maintenance, rehab.  I started thinking, be better. Not just at Crossfit, but everything. It was like a single rain drop hitting the surface of a still pond. I said to my self I'm almost 30, I need to be there for my wife, son, grandchildren and community.  Not confined to a walker, disease, or just being out of shape. To see all that, I had to start working on me, I wanted to be a better Husband, I had to work on things in my relationship, I wanted to be a great father, I wanted to be a better person period. I pursued everything that could make these changes happen. What I found was that all of this was just like a WOD. Some days are easier than others, when things get difficult, take a deep breath, focus on the task and try to execute it as efficiently as possible. It can be frustrating but if you freak out or get too angry, that doesn't help the situation. Just don't quit. Which came all the way back to me being a better CrossFitter.

Here is the math: 1 +1=2
I want to perform better, I have to eat better. I want to grow stronger and adapt, I need more rest.  I want more rest, I can't party as much. I spend more time sober at home, me and my wife became best friends. My marriage is healthy and strong, We can do parenting. My child knows love.

Not to mention all the other things that have changed. My blood pressure lowered, my flexibility and mobility has increased, my stress level is down.  A more caring coach and friend. I wanted to put more and more positive energy into the universe. Ultimately this is because I asked God what he would have me do. Next thing you know all the cards were face up and I did what I was told. CrossFit was simply the form and catalyst for my purpose.  At times I know outsiders think we are crazy, our community, our WODs and all the cult ideals that we may have.  My opinion of CrossFit or ANYTHING that causes this much positive growth and this many blessings is worth going hard in the paint for.

Jerk: Workout 12/17/12

JERK: FROM THE BLOCKS
2 PUSH JERKS and 2 SPLIT JERKS
@ 95, 115, 135, 185, 205 X 4 sets

STRICT PRESS SINGLES: HYPERTROPHY/ENDURANCE
*RESET EACH PRESS FROM THE BLOCKS, NOT RETURNING TO RACK POSITION.
4 X 8-FAILURE @ 135#

WOD: THE LONGEST MILE.
4 ROUNDS OF:
400 Meter run
25 Burpees

Holy Hamstrings and Lower back Batman: Workout 12/18/12

DEADLIFT:                                                                 
2 X 5 @ 135#
2 X 5 @ 225#
2 X 5 @ 315#
2 X 3 @ 405#

ROMANIAN DEADLIFT:
2 X 8 @ 225#

GOOD MORNINGS w/ SINGLE LEG KB DEADLIFT
-3 SUPER SETS
GM's: 8 @ 135#
KBDL'S: 3 each leg w/ (2) 24 kg

METCON: 21-15-9
20# MEDBALL CLEANS
TOES-2-BAR

Safety Squat Bar: My new best friend.

So yesterday I worked with the Safety Squat Bar to add a little Dynamic effort to my Squat day, what I got in return, Hamstrings that were on fire and a chance to train without stressing my injured wrist.


http://www.roguefitness.com/sb-1-rogue-safety-squat-bar.php

Specifications: "Rogue" Safety Squat Bar

• Weight: 70LB
• 1.5" diameter formed solid steel shaft
• 1" diameter formed solid steel handles
• Machined Olympic sleeves
• Fully welded design
• Heavy duty vinyl and closed cell foam pad

The design of the bar is interesting just to look at but functionally it has great application, it sits high on the neck, higher than your high bar back squat position because of the padding, however the weight bearing bars (the ends) place the weight slightly lower than your low bar position. What does this mean or translate to me?? I can try to maintain a more vertical torso, if I do this with proper depth I can obtain more hamstring recruitment, but the weight being low (my new center of gravity) is closer to the fulcrum which means bio mechanically it can move it easier. The best part are the handles. You have a neutral grip position just in front of your chest. Which for those with bad shoulder and wrist mobility you can now move that heavy weight with out being in pain for your reps, which make you a happier athlete.

The bar it self is 25# greater than your normal bar, so just have that in mind when doing your math, and for some reason the weight just felt heavier than normal. I suggest you get a couple of bar warm up sets in just to get the feel of it. Afterwards, because of the way the bar is set up, you will get a better feel and understanding of why you need to lead back with your hips on your descent. My one true concern is for the low level squatter. There is no dumping, you can't. Make sure that if you are not strong, technical or confident in your squat to  keep the weight moderate or have someone to spot you.  I'm including a video to show the angle of the squat.  Enjoy!

Systems Vs. Methods: Why trainers are needed. Part 2

We have become lazy. The sedentary lifestyle is too common and overeating poor quality processed foods is too convenient.  Why? We, the so called "superior lifeforms of the planet" have researched, engineered and developed so much technology to assist us in making things easier that we now want bodies that we didn't earn let alone deserve. Plastic surgery, electrolysis, and all these superficial methods to "keep up with the Jones'" or should I say Kardashians.  It used to be you earned what you worked for, now its about who you can screw over and how you can pay for things to be done for you. It's sad.

Lets start with all these miracle fad diets. Obviously implemented to make money on your failure. These things are established because the average person is not knowledgeable in nutrition or making decisions for themselves. This person will fall for anything. They plan these out in so many ways, all ending with you falling off of the wagon, gaining your weight back, and then buying their product or trying a new one. Whether it's shaking this on your food, going 50% liquid intake, ready to eat meals delivered to your door and my favorite, the whatever this celebrity did diet.  Either way you give your money to someone for something you could have been managing on your own with your normal budget and decision making at your grocery store. What you should be paying for is the education. A one time fee of guidance for a lifestyle, not something in preparation for the summer, or your wedding but for the rest of your life.

Now lets talk about these belts and girdles.The ads say something like "tired of crunches?", "is working out is just too hard?" You seen these before so lets push.  First the Girdle, as if people didn't lie to each other enough about who they are lets put an elastic band around your torso to give the appearance of a flatter, slimmer you. They say all these things to benefit you on the outside but what about the inside. What about the overuse that could be weakening your core. NOT JUST YOUR ABS, YOUR CORE. the entire trunk system that keeps you upright and holds your guts in. Then we got the electric belts that sends "painless electro-pulses" while sitting on the couch to give you a quick six pack by involuntarily contracting your muscles. I will say it again, INVOLUNTARILY. The whole reason muscles are the way they are is because we train our brains to contract the muscle. It's called Neuromuscular Coordination. Without you using your brain to send the message you can not utilize the strength, or muscle you are developing. But it does look like you did 100 situps a day....

It shouldn't be so easy. Cutting and stuffing your face, breast and butt to look a certain way is stupid, I'm not going to elaborate anymore on that. Plastic Surgeons writing their own tickets for being glorified taxidermist. Okay, now I'm done.  The point is is that no one wants to work hard or sweat anymore. I see so many people come into the health club I work at in full make up, hair done and move on the elliptical for an hour while reading novels and magazines and not get their heart rate above 50% let alone the 67% needed to cause some sort of change. We need to do more, if anything our children will follow our lack of activity and unhealthy habits. I don't care what form of exercise it is, just doing something that makes you breathe hard for at least 30-60 minutes a day and think about what you shove in your face. You deserve more but you have to work for it to get it.

Systems Vs. Methods: Why trainers are needed. Part 1

This is going to go on for a while so I'm gonna break this up into as many parts as needed to not loose your attention. Circuit training, High Intensity Training, Interval training, etc. All of these have been around for along time, nothing is as cutting edge as the infomercial says it is. The name brand does not negate itself from common implementations of achieving a specific physical response. Its really all the same depending on the goal, creativity and how hard the user is willing to push themselves. Regardless of how you go about it, whether its CrossFit, Zumba, or Boot Camp there is not replacement for Coaches and Trainers.

I want to start by saying that the System of certain home programs such as P90-X, and Insanity are useful, affective and not bad ideas.  Do the work and you can probably achieve that lean body you wanted and great Cardio response. It's the method that concerns me.

Did you earn your T-shirt? You bought whatever it is that you saw on T.V. and you ready to go...Day 1 goes by, week 2 goes by next month is here. Did you work out? How many people thought that they were going to use this product and ended up leaving it on the shelf or did not continue as long as they were supposed to.  There is no accountability for the lazy. A trainer is there to motivate, keep you honest and most importantly present. Managing rest times, reps, movements and you not pressing pause or getting distracted by things going on inside of your house.

Just do what I do. Is it really that easy? Even if you modify the movements do you know what a Squat or Lunge is supposed to look and feel like? Have you ever seen a person move with no awareness of how their body should move through space? Should you be doing this movement at all? With a Coach or Trainer your movement patterns can be assessed and corrected. Form and technique should always come before intensity.

Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire. Did you feel this out? Did you talk to a doctor or fitness professional before pursuing this? Moving on.

Progressive Overload. Are you getting stronger, faster, or better now that the box set is done. Probably not, which means that you are probably only good at body weight movements and all your doing is maintaining. Now if that is the desired goal, just repeat the DVD's over, and over, and over and over again. Sounds boring. In most cases, you reach a point where you can't go any further. Where is the variety, and new challenge. What if you want to Bench Press or Dead Lift more. You can't achieve that with the Kettle Bell set at home. And besides, who doesn't want to be stronger?

Thanksgiving and beyond

Turkey, ham, collard greens, macaroni and cheese. Sweet tea, sweet potato pie, potato salad, cranberry sauce and rolls. This is what I was raised on. If you are from the south, or Italian or just come from a family that knows how to do work in the kitchen then you might be somewhat worried about the holidays if you eat what you would consider clean or healthier. When you  are a guest in someone else' house the last thing you want to do is be rude and not eat, you know that you need the food or your blood sugar will drop and you will be a cranky asshole while everyone is laughing and watching football. You don't want to bring your own Thanksgiving Dinner because then you are really rude. What do you do? Because it's not just turkey day you need to worry about, you got Big Baby Jesus day and New Years and the Super Bowl all within a 3 month window. Pressure, pressure and a little more pressure to not undo all your hard work, not to mention if you are like most clean eaters the minute you eat gluten, Crisco, cheese or something you removed from your lifestyle you just don't feel right at the end of the meal. So, here are some ideas.

LET IT BE! If it is just the one meal, eat. Pick the closest foods that wont do a lot of damage and enjoy. As long as you follow up your meals back to the regular routine you will be fine. Make it a treat day.

BRING FOLLOW UP FOOD. If you are staying for a few days, bring some things to sandwich in between the holiday meals. At least things that will keep you functioning somewhat the same. Ultimately its going to come down to maintaining your caloric intake.

DETOX. Remember the things that aid in cleansing your system; Kale, Coconut Milk, Lemongrass tea, Asparagus, plenty of water.

STRENGTH DAYS!!! Maybe you are trying to add a little mass. Well these are the calories to get it done. Lift hard and heavy and eat. Seconds, leftovers..etc.

JUST RELAX AND WORKOUT. Your skills and strength are not just going to vanish into thin air. As long as you maintain your training schedule you will be fine. You may be somewhat slow if you eat bad for a week or two but the work can still be done and once your system is back to normal you will be just fine.

Breaking the Pull-Up Plateau

I have covered this with many of the ladies at my box but it is a bigger issue not just with females but amongst males as well.  There is no difference in the muscular blueprint between men and woman, only size, and with size comes more contractile force which is why men typically tend to have achieved pull-ups early on in life or through training. That's it. However, even though men tend to have bigger or stronger muscles they still reach a limit to their ability to do high repetitions of pull-ups, strict or kipping.  Depending on the programing you follow you might not be getting the volume or movements necessary to do more pull-ups, so here are some suggestions.

LOSE WEIGHT: I'm not saying that you are fat but there may be a strength to weight ratio issue working against you. If I can see your ribs and 6 pack then obviously I'm not talking to you. If you are some what bigger and you know it would be easier if your belly was smaller then it might be.



KEEP THE BAND: Yes, coming off of banded pull-ups is a great accomplishment, but if you are not able to rep out 10 strict pull-ups as a warm-up then you may need to develop more Neuromuscular co-ordination, and volume. Volume adds to your muscular endurance which adds to your ability to contract more often with less recovery. Use the band that challenges you around the 8th-10th rep. Simply do more pull-up.

LIFT LIKE A BODY BUILDER: CrossFit in general doesn't supply accessory movements to their strength routines. Pull-ups, Cleans and the occasional rope climb are simply not enough, especially for the needs of people who want results faster. Add a 2 day regiment of traditional weight training to your schedule to do movements that promote strength in elbow flexion and shoulder extension and horizontal adduction. Bicep curls, lat pull down, Rows, and reverse shrugs. Or look at a standard Back and Bi's day in a muscle magazine.
 


WEIGHTED: To increase your relative strength try weighted pull-ups. Allow yourself the appropriate work to rest ratio and  make them apart of your weekly regimen.
 
Just some tips guys, I hope they work out for you and if you got questions please ask.

More than I could chew: Regional Workout 4

In the process of becoming a CrossFit Games competitor you and I have to make it through the preliminaries. The "Open", which is how it sounds, open to anyone willing to try.  Then the Regional's, which is a step above and in some cases beyond.  I started to incorporate one Regional workout per week into this cycle of training. The volume of the actual Regional weekend alone is enough to crush your Central Nervous System and send you back home with an evil headache. So that is why I decided to break the WOD's up over the course of many weeks. To give me the volume and load of 1 workout and the ability to recover fully before the next one.  This was what I felt a way to identify possible weaknesses and gain experience of Dave Castro's imagination.  Anyhow, this particular workout  put me in a position that I have only been in twice. Here is workout 4;

For Time:                                                                          Tonage/volume Breaks down to:
50 Back Squats (135/95)                                                     150 Squat: 14,250 lbs
40 Pull ups                                                                         120 Pull ups: Body Weight
30 Shoulder to overhead (135/95)                                          90 Sh to Ovh: 8,550 llbs
50 Front Squat (85/65)
40 Pull up
30 Shoulder to overhead (85/65)
50 Overhead Squats (65/45)
40 Pull ups
30 Shoulder to overhead (65/45)

I knew that this was going to be hard, to me it was the most intimidating workout. Which is why I chose it. The first round is more than the average volume of a resistance training piece. By the time I was done with the Shoulder to overhead at 135# my heart felt like it was going to explode, I didn't rush or try to fly through it, I just wanted to stay moving. It took me 9 minutes, 3 of those minutes where the shoulder to overhead. After performing the weight change, Which I thought was supposed to be 115# (my mistake), my body acted as a turtle noticing an eagle swooping down upon him.  My mind went into "holy shit, what am I doing?" mode and my body wanted to protect itself. Every time I tried to pick the bar up I dropped it, every time I tried to stand up to work something sat me back down. I thought how?  How were these amazing athletes able to tackle this workout along with the ones before and after this one in a weekend.  I know I'm not at that level yet, I can be honest and say that, which is why I broke the workouts up, However I was not going to scale them because now is the time for me to be aggressive and take a few challenging WOD's under my belt. I need to have that feeling and that stress for adaptation. I sat there and watched the clock tick, it was time to stop and revamp my programming, at least specifically for this workout. I will spread this WOD out over the course of the week. 3 sections as the Metcon of my day. Now I know there are factors of performance, hydration, warm up, stars aligning, Pluto isn't a planet anymore, whatever the case may be. The factor I do want to touch is the atmospheric factor.

I train by myself.  It's because of my goals, my programming, work and location that I have to do so. If I could workout with others I would but I really don't get that opportunity to often.  I took 2nd in the Mid-Atlantic Hopper so I guess that means something about what I been doing.  Now how much of that competition is a fair representation of the rest of the region in the up coming season is unknown. I do know this, the Atmosphere, the electricity in the air, the fans and supporters of not just the sport but of you change everything. In that setting who knows what tasks you can accomplish, how far you can push yourself, how long you go unbroken or go past your previous PR. I think Mr. Castro may have considered the Human Spirit as a deciding factor and how it can be altered by the setting it is in. There is a very different feeling from working out alone, with the community of your box and then in a competition setting. Same goal, but different outcomes and possibilities. Maybe that is what's going to be the difference between my DNF today and success down the line. I don't know for sure, I do know this, there will always be a WOD that makes you cringe, my goal is to finish it however I can.

From Gym Rat to WOD Killer: How I caught the bug.

Puking. Cliche as it sounds that was my body's first response to CrossFit, I didn't actually know what CrossFit was. Somewhere in between muscular fatigue and central nervous system overload I found my self praying to the Porcelain God like I just finished a long night of drinking.  What did I get myself into? I love this, I suck at this but I want to get better. Those were just some of the thoughts running through my mind, and I thought I was in good shape. I grew up doing gymnastics since a child and wrestling through high school. After a very inactive 4 years I started working out at 22. Doing the basic 5 day plan, back and bis, chest and tris, legs, you know.  I was good too. I made great strength and superficial gains. I carried this into the Marine Corps and started lifting a lot more. Taking "Animal" supplements and "No-explode" hitting 2 a days. Life was good. At 185lbs and 9-11% body fat I was squatting 405 for sets of 10 and 500 for 3-5. My Dead Lift was 550 and was benching 315 for reps even put up 405 once. I thought I was good. I ran my Marines 5 days a week in the morning for 3-7 miles, distance depended on their behavior or lack there of.  I ran a 22:20 5k give or take seconds consistently. I was considered to be in great shape...Let the humbling begin.

It was 2010 and my wife and I had been living in Okinawa Japan for just about a year, my wife says "come to Warrior Training with me".  Of course I said okay, I had been to one of her group workouts before and thought nothing of it. Piece of cake, right. Turns out it was CrossFit (still something I never heard of.) put on by MCCS. Since they were not affiliated they called it "Warrior Training". The warm up was great, tough but good. Then I was introduced to Tabata and everything changed. 1st set: Push ups, 2nd Set: sit-ups, 3rd set:LUNGES!!! A feeling came over me that had only been obtained through hard leg days, or mixing too many adult beverages. I haul ass to the nearest bathroom and let her rip, the Super Pump 250 didn't help. After 5 minutes I got my act together and finished the work out. I was devastated, all these housewives and unassuming guys were making me look bad. That's when I saw that I wasn't as fit as I thought I was. Have I been living under a rock or something? Where did this regiment of exercise come from?  I wished I was exposed to this in the beginning. I was obsessed. I started taking my squad to the classes, I was searching videos on Youtube, anything and everything CrossFit related I watched.  I started to do less traditional resistance training and more of this crazy stuff. I was hooked. Still am. Thanks Honey!

Controlling Chaos

I love the idea of being "generally physically prepared", it keeps me confident in my ability to accomplish any task, within reason. In the Marine Corps as a 5811 Military Police Officer, my tasks stretched from standing a gate and saluting officers to breaching and clearing a structure. Everything in between would be 3-12 mile runs and humps (hike with 30-100+ lbs of gear) to climbing walls and conducting convoys and security patrols in combat zones. So the idea that I had to be physically ready to carry myself and a fallen brother in all his/her gear and weapon was on mind constantly. What happens when the sh*t hits the fan?

The same applies to CrossFit, what happens when the hopper brings out something you weren't ready for or something you just didn't practice enough?  Alot of people struggle with not getting the attention needed or the time under tension to progress or compete with certain loads, movements or rep schemes. Sometimes too much variation weakens our ability to transfer skills or maintain strength.  What I have found that personally works for me is to have a major movement template span across a 2 week period. If you are like me and don't hit Shoulder Press every week your numbers drop or you just don't feel as strong from one week to another. So it is important that I press every week. My work schedule or weekends are crazy so it is important to have consistency that will always allow me to improve or build on if I miss a day or two. I often hear 2 common statements from CrossFitters that can be a factor in their programming, its either "I haven't ---fill in the blank--- in so long" or "I felt like all week long we did so much---blank--my--whatever body part--is done".  My response is usually, "that sucks".  I am not a fan of cherry picking WOD's, I try not to,sometimes you have to suck it up and do the work. However an athlete also has to listen to their body in the event of too much or not enough variation and consistency. So this is how I managed to program my consistencies and variation. Spread over 2 weeks my training FOUNDATION looks like this:
 Sunday         Monday          Tuesday          Wednesday        Thursday           Friday         Saturday
Wk1    rest      Oly ME         Squat            Active Rest       rest/mobility      Oly DE          Press
Wk2    rest      Oly ME         Deadlift         Upper psh/pu    rest/mobility       Oly DE          Press

These are my Strengths but how I implement the strength that day may vary from how my body feels based on the MetCon done the day before. I may use the 5-3-1 method on a Sqaut or Deadlift day, or maybe I will do more of a hypertrophy/endurance style day of training working in accessory movements such as lying HS curl, leg extensions, GHR's or if your lucky enough to have one Reverse Hyper Extensions. I always perform a max effort day for Cleans or Snatches usually in the form of 2-2-2-1-1-1-1-1, then a dynamic effort such as pulls from blocks, segmented lifts, etc. For my upper push/pull day, it's usually weight pull ups and ring dips. The beauty of hitting these movements is that after you do weighted sets (5x5 or 6x3) you feel super light when you go back to unweighted, so you could do a max effort set or something like 2x10-15 at the end. So now that I have my Core Lifts locked in all I have to do is program my MetCon. I generally program for 4-5 days a week, 1 being in a specific domain of time or work. Check it out.
Monday- 3-5 movements, 8-15 mins, with moderate weight and reps
Tuesday- Metcon with a skill I suck at when fatigued (Double unders) usually under 20mins (chipper).
Wednesday- 20minutes+ 5k row/run, Swim or Bike
Friday-Heavy and under 6mins.
Saturday-Something I may have missed over 2weeks, quick and heavy 5-10mins.
I also may use the Core lift from that day in the workout at high reps low weight or vice versa. Ultimately it comes down to what is YOUR goal. Is it weight loss, mobility, cross training or competing. Since mine is competing, I push myself to have strength, versatility and endurance.  Step back and look at how random the Games are you will see the pattern. Push, pull, drag, squat, run, be fast or last longer. That's basically it, make those fit into your routine with progressive overload and things should pan out.  Find what you need to do, plug it and go hard.               

Why drinking the Cool-aid may help your performance

Before they became a fashion staple to complete your shoe collection, thousands of aspiring backyard, street court basket ball lovers bought Air Jordans. Why? At the height of Micheal Jordan's career the term "its gotta be the shoes" changed the game of fashion and believing in one's potential. Not actual talent, Potential. That if I had these shoes I could be like Mike. I would jump higher, glide from the foul line, make tie breaking shots at the buzzer. Did this make you a better player? That answer is definitely maybe. The one important thing was that it transformed your confidence into something amazing. In your head you moved, leaped and crossed over like a pro. The outside is irrelevant. The feeling you achieve when you are the athlete that you knew you could be is something...it's something.

I will never forget my old Battalion First Sergeant, 1st Sgt.Banks. We didn't agree on a lot but one of the things I took from him was that your attire affects your attitude. He was really big on the power of the Marine Corps uniform and how we conduct ourselves professionally, and boy when I cammy up and put my Sgt chevrons on I feel like a superhero. He was also big on how we conducted ourselves off duty in civilian clothing. He was right, you ever see people that wear pajamas out in public. They act like they are at home, especially the younger ones.  I applied this to my training (subconsciously of course), I just wanted to feel like I was a top athlete. I saw Neal Maddox in his Rogue shorts and watched him crush a work out. I bought those shorts and wore them for a WOD and I felt like I was him. I saw Dan Bailey in a green Rogue shirt, I bought a green Rogue shirt, I felt amazing. I was ready to crush every work out harder in my Nanos than I ever did wearing my Nike run frees. Now, I'm not saying blow a paycheck on apparel. I can't afford all the stuff that half of these keyword sponsored athletes wear but, I just feel good in some clothes than others. Think about it, how did you feel in your first pair of Oly shoes, or how your butt looks in those compression tights, or yoga pants? Sometimes the superficial, aesthetically pleasing things penetrate us deeply.

So lets address Positive Self Projection. Before your WOD, see yourself doing your thing like you were on a main site video, as if there is a section of the stadium there just to watch you knock out this workout. See yourself being great. The attitude you have going into your workouts is important and directly connected to your performance. This is also applicable to, wait for it...LIFE. Use this tool in everything. Work, parenting, handling stressful situations. See the best in yourself and the best possible outcome and challenge yourself to maintain that standard of who you are in your mind's eye. Ask your body to follow your mind. Live up to your dreams.

Big Fish in an Awesome Little Pond

"Community, this aint no community this is a cult!" are the words from my friend and colleague Jason as we look over the floor of Characters at CrossFit Rubicon's 2nd year aniversary/Halloween WOD, potluck party. Whatever it is, or what we are is awesome.  I fall into a small percentage of the members. As a struggling fire breather, me and a few others are big deals to some people. We perform prescribed movements, sometimes difficult skills or generally have bigger numbers or faster times. To them that is something to aspire to. It's a great feeling honestly, to be admired or acknowledged for the return on your investment from training. You feel super, but I feel as though I am driven and inspired more by the general population.

I didn't have a hard time learning the skills or struggling for long periods with the movement. The first time I did a muscle up was because some guy came up to me in a gym on base in Okinawa and said, "Hey you ever seen this guy do a pull and pull himself up to the top of the bar?" I said "no, lets try it.", turns out I could do bar muscle ups. No effort, moving my body threw space and using bio mechanics to  accomplish a task or lift just makes sense to me. So when it comes to relating to someones short comings was hard for me. Starting with progressions and scaling down was a weird feeling, I just thought all I had to say was "do this", demonstrate it, and you could do it too now. Not so much. So I look to people like that now. They make me stronger. I learn from watching how they move or don't move. I smile when I work and catch myself over joyed inside because this is my job. To coach dedicated, hard working, caring, wonderful people. People that want to achieve more, in multiple facets of their life. Watching peoples bodies and confidence change, dropping from the thickest band for pull ups to unassisted dead hang pull ups for sets of 5. You inspire me. To hear you took 2 minutes of your 5k is amazing. Push, Push and continue to push.  Fight the sedentary lifestyle, leave your comfort zone and thrive. I think of you when I work out. When I feel like this is a tough one, I think if I quit or if I don't push myself more then I would be failing you. I want to work out with you just so you can chase me, because I want you to improve. So graciously thank you, thank you when you say i checked out your video "wow, good stuff", or "great job at the competition", but take some credit for yourself too, you make it worth it, and make me proud to wear my Rubicon shirt at any and every event.

Train what I feel.

Hi everyone, I want to talk about something I've come across to be helpful on days that are supposed to be passive rest days but couldn't stand doing nothing or when I have a programming block.  Anyone that does CrossFit has had that moment in a WOD where they've said something like, "Oh yeah, that 2nd or 3rd round felt great then it was all down hill from there.", "I got how many more to do?" or "I been here before I just have to push though it.".  Whatever you say, you know there was a distinct difference between the round that went well and when the hurt started.  Usually round 2-3 of a 5-8 round WOD depending on the tasks, movements and load of the workout.  So here is my experience and hopefully something to add to your tool box.

 Replicate that round, that sweet round when you felt strong and told yourself that you were going to crush this work out. How do I do that BJ? I'm glad you asked, Your next active rest day workout with out the pressure of the clock telling you to move faster. Pick a couple of movements, rep scheme and load that is moderate and would feel like if you had to do them for time for 5-12 rounds you know you're going to make sweat angels. Don't worry I will provide examples later. Now do 1-2 rounds, you should be a little huffy puffy and starting to sweat. Getting that heart pounding is a pretty good sign that your about there, or if you looked at your watch from when you started and finished you should be anywhere between 1:00-2:00 give or take. Now rest, step away for a minuter breath and bring it down, to near full recovery, anywhere from 2-5 depending on what you did but you should still be warm and somewhat elevated before you start again. The goal is to perform the movements as Technically sound and explosively as possible, as you would that 1rst or 2nd round, but also as if you already did some work before, hence the recovery time.  I know, I know if you are knowledgeable in the fitness community or are a Fitness Professional you would say this energy system training, more specifically the Glycolosis system or lactate threshold realm. True, but for everyone else Make it burn and walk away, lets not be scientific today, I'm not that smart.

As a personal trainer at a Corporate gym with a passion for CrossFit, it can be hard to get to the Box for a WOD or just to work on my own weakness. So I often workout in a less than a favorable atmosphere for our sport with even less equipment so it's important I get the most out of every workout. Here are some examples of things I've done, the awesome part is that it gave me a chance to throw skills that sometimes go weeks without being performed for one reason or another.  Remember this is probably an active or supposed to be passive rest day, so do as much or as little as needed. I usually do SMR (foam rolling), movement prep work (active stretching) with a row or run first and again at the end, and anywhere from 5-10 sets of the workout.

5 x 2pood KB Swing                   10 Pistols (5ea. side)                           10 Hand Stand Push Ups
5 Muscle Ups                             20 meter Handstand Walks                 15 Wall Ball Shots
                                                                                                      10 x 45lb OH Walking Lunges
30-45 sec. L-sit holds                   10 burpees
10 x 135lb Overhead Squat         50 double unders

Hope that this is somewhat useful, it works for me. Let me know what you think or you have any ideas, blog requests or critiques, please be my guest, and respectful. Take care until next,
BJ