tweaking the workout program

With the recent local explosion (and by "local" I mean "a bunch of people I know") of kettlebell, interval, cross, and circuit training, I have been asked the same questions on a regular basis: How do I get started? Inevitably the questions arise from not only those who have none to almost no active fitness regiment, but also from those actively engaged in activity. Obviously those with current physical fitness activities have an edge on transitioning into a higher intensity cross-training program.

For those newbies: Foundation. Foundation. Foundation. Below is a list of "prison workout" exercises that should be mastered before the intensity gets kicked up. You cannot expect to jump from the couch-potatoing into power cleans, plyometrics, or hand-to-hand kettlebelling.

Abdominals (situps, fitness ball crunches, leg lifts, decline situps, medicine ball drills)

Back extensions (Roman chair)

Standing overhead presses (kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell)

Pushups

Pullups (with partner, assist rubber bands, or weight assist machine, if necessary)

Dips (with partner, assist rubber bands, or weight assist machine, if necessary)

Air squats (no weight)

Overhead squats (with low-weight body bar or broomstick)

Body-Ups (AKA inverted rows, AKA reverse pushups)

Running/biking or cardiovascular machines (treadmill, bike, stepper, eliptical, rower)

For those with an existing program: If you still subscribe to a schedule that calls for the dreaded "chest and back day," there is still hope for you. I wouldn't expect you to completely abandon the regiment you've grown to cherish. Start to substitute more functional, complex exercises and drills into your program. One such functionality test I use is this: If it requires me to brace my back, sit down, or use a cable....not functional. Stop all these exercises and find a suitable alternative. Also, some exercises that isolate a muscle or muscle group can be eliminated for the sake of other more complex ones. Aside from needing the exercises listed in the advice for newbies, here are some swaps:

cable tricep pushdowns = dips
military press = standing overhead presses (push press, jerk, snatch)
upright rows = hang (power) cleans
leg extensions/curls = dumbbell lunges
lat pulldowns = pullups and inverted rows (AKA body ups)
curls or any bicep exercise = can pretty much quit
bench press or flys = dips and pushups on low gymnastics rings

As far as bringing kettlebell exercises into your routine, try these for starters:

bottoms-up squats

high pulls

swings

clean and press

figure-8 lunges

turkish getups

Also add these to your routine:

deadlifts (135lb or lighter)

front squats

Intersplice a few cardio exercises like jumping rope or running between lifting exercises

Summary: The particulars like repetition numbers and frequency are not that important within the first few weeks or months of a transition period. Just do them. If you're just getting off the couch, then take it easy. Set up stations and move quickly from one to the next. But like I said, the order or details are not all that important until you get a solid foundation. What is important is to ensure proper form to prevent injury. Injury MUST be avoided. If you need help with an exercise, do not rely solely upon YouTube or other video sites, as ANYONE with a camera can post a how-to clip. I'll be sure to hook you up with either the right video segments or an educated coach.

Congratulations on your start to a new healthy lifestyle.

Brand new gym...CrossFit Tri-Cities

We're super excited for our friends over at CF Tri-Cities in St Charles, Illinois. They're in the final stages of preparing their "box" for a grand opening this weekend. They'll be serving more than the cities of St Charles, Geneva, and Batavia, as there are no other CF gyms outside Chicago or Rockford. Check them out at http://tricitiescrossfit.blogspot.com/ I pirated the above picture from their website (I'm sure they won't mind), which depicts the gym earlier this week.

Waiting for what? Get going.....

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful." -- Mark Victor Hansen


My life's history is a tickertape with creases and folds at the most significant times. One of those folds occurred about three years ago. One of my teammates and I were encouraging a new teammate into participating in a firearm competition. We explained all the benefits of stress innoculation and the healthy competitive environment. Now this new teammate of ours had been carrying a pistol for a living for years and was even a police firearm instructor. I will never forget his response: "I don't think I'm ready yet." But it was my veteran teammate's response that is etched in stone: "You're never gonna be ready. You just gotta jump in."

You're never gonna be ready. Those words still ring true to me today. Are we really ever ready for a new challenge? We might prepare and plan, but we never absolutely know the outcome beforehand. Besides, what's the challenge if we know ahead of time that we're gonna succeed or fail? We can go into our contests with a strategy, education, and training....all necessary to give ourselves a fighting chance. But taking that first step into the arena is not an easy one. It's a decisive movement that takes courage and faith.

Do you think any first-time marathon runner is really ready to take on 26.2 miles, even after months of training? How about a baseball player taking his first trip to the plate in "the bigs?" Or an expecting mother and father waiting on the birth of their first child?

Put your fears aside. Be courageous in your decision to take on the challenge. Enjoy the journey. No, it will not be easy, but seriously....when are you ever really gonna be ready?

Weeding the Garden

Take a look at your lawn or garden. Do you see weeds? Of course you do. It's impossible to have a weed-free landscape. The real question is: are the weeds few and far between, or are they strangling the life out of your flowers? Have you let the scoundrel plants get out of control?

Each of us can identify weeds in our life that (if not kept in check) can prove to be a distraction, or at the worst...our downfall. These temptations can range from downright sinful to merely a waste of time. We're each responsible for identifying the weeds and pulling them from our gardens!

Look at habits in your life and why you do them. Some of them are intrinsically positive, while others are blatantly negative. Some people use religious laws as the compass; others base their actions on the court of public opinion. But you'll see that there's a lot of gray in between the black and white. For me, watching television was in that gray area. It's hard to prove that television is bad. However, it's harder for me to make a case that it's good. It was a clear cut case for me that watching television must be taken in extreme moderation. In America, the average time per day spent watching TV or movies is 170 minutes!!!! That's about three hours of unproductive time. Now if the average American would limit DAILY viewing to two half-hour shows, that would free up close to two hours per day. It frustrates me when I hear friends make excuses to not exercise, but then in the next breath, dissect what happened on the previous night's reality TV show! Imagine the progress that can be made in 14 hours in a week....that's about an extra waking day. So what would you do with an extra day each week?

I decided to take up reading books. I made a short list of books that my friends and coworkers recommended, and started one of them while on vacation. I read it in two days and dropped in the local bookstore for more. I began to feel a "pump" in my brain, similar to a muscular pump after exercising. So began my substitution of books for TV. Both relaxing. Both entertaining. But I felt more "involved" when I read, and like a zombie when I watched TV. Plus, my choice in books was generally educational. Television was definately a weed in my garden.

Weeds take the form of a variety of habits and pleasures: surfing the internet, gambling, hanging out in bars, bad diet, video games, fantasy sport groups, window shopping, and smoking are but a few. I couldn't believe the differences in my life when I pulled even a few of my weeds. For another example, sitting in a tavern Saurday nights and sleeping in on Sunday mornings was a complete drag compared to new practices of living in moderation on Saturday and waking up early for church.

I am definately NOT asking you to abandon alcohol, throw out your TV, or give up simple pleasures in life. It's sometimes those relaxing habits that allow us to reguvinate our bodies after long days and weeks. But are you missing out on the opportunities to set aside time for something a bit more productive? Even without adding positive habits, kicking some negative or unproductive ones will make a huge difference! Start by giving up one or two easy ones...like limiting time online, or playing video games, or watching sports news.

I'll spend plenty of time in the future discussing positive habits for personal growth in this blog. For now, take a walk out on your lawn and see what weeds need to be pulled.

Determination: The Key Ingredient

So you've seen the below announcement for MURPH for Miller. And there are two camps setting up tents across the field from each other. One camp is called "I Can" and the other is called "I Can't." Now the reality is this: you will unfailingly align yourself with the right camp. If you think you cannot complete the test...you are correct. You won't. But the flip side is also true. The catch is you must not only say you can, but actually believe you can. I find myself among a small faction within the "I Can" camp called the "It's Gonna Be Ugly" group. Now the "IGBU" group is comprised of some persistent, no...stubborn individuals that will under no circumstances sleep in the "I Can't" camp. I love hanging out with the IGBUs....they're a motivating breed. I'd take on the Devil himself with a couple of my closest IGBUs!

Some of my friends have already thrown out some goal times to complete MURPH under (like 35 or 45 minutes. WOW). However, for me at 230lbs, I have to realistically plan for the likes of a two-hour workout. Or more!! But I will finish it at whatever the cost. My body will hurt for days, but not as painfully or lasting as my soul would if I have to sleep with the "I Can'ts."

We can all recall stories of those with determination. Maybe we saw it in an athletic contest, or in a tale of wilderness survival, or in beating-the-odds success. Bare-bones determination has little to do with physical or mental abilities, but rather having the belief and spirit and passion to reach a destination. No matter what obstacles are in the way, those with determination succeed! It's not that they don't get beat down; it's that they don't stay down.

Today we look down the road at one of those obstacles in the form of a grueling, daunting task. Its name is MURPH. We have the benefit of goal-oriented planning and strategizing for the task. By adding physical preparation to the rock-solid determination, the hurdle gets smaller.

We are two months away from the date. Brian M will soon be posting some workout plans. I look forward to his suggestions, as I need all the help I can get to ease my aches. But for now, I'm satisfied knowing that my determination, persistence, and yes..stubbornness will bring me to the end, regardless of how ugly it might be. I hope to share my campsite with you. Until then....do pullups.

MURPH for Miller! SSG Robert Miller -- memorial workout on 04-19-08

Coming to suburban Chicagoland on Saturday, April 19th , 2008......the inaugural “SSG Robert Miller Memorial Workout” dedicated to Staff Sgt. Robert Miller. Rob grew up in the Wheaton area and attended Wheaton North High School. He was a competitive gymnast and a highly skilled athlete. He enlisted in the United States Army in 2003 and was accepted into the Special Forces selection and training process. He graduated and received his Special Forces tab on September 30, 2005. He was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group and deployed to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom from August 2006 to March 2007.

Rob returned to Afghanistan for his second tour in October 2007, where he served as a Weapons Sergeant for his team.

Rob was killed in action on January 25, 2008. He was killed by enemy fire during an ambush near the Pakistan border. He died while providing cover fire for the evacuation of his team captain, who was seriously injured at the beginning of the attack. Rob’s actions saved the captain’s life and enabled his team to gain cover and return fire.

http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2008/January/080129-03.html

Please join us in honoring Rob’s life, character, and his sacrifice in the defense of his Country and his teammates. All proceeds will be donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. http://www.specialops.org/

Come by to compete, test your physical and mental abilities, or relax with friends and fellow warriors. The MURPH was the favorite workout of KIA Navy SEAL Lt Mike Murphy:

MURPH
1 Mile Run
100 Pull Ups
200 Push Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

There will also be "Assisted MURPHs" and Half MURPS." Assisted categories will utilize rubber pull-up bands for assistance during pull ups. For a "half," just split the numbers: half mile run, 50 pullups, etc.

All squats are “air squats” with the butt stopping just below the knees.

Pull ups can be done utilizing any grip and can be completed by kipping, kicking, L-holds, or any other “free hang” technique.

Pull ups, pushups and squats can be partitioned as needed. The workout must begin and end with the run.

Side Matches to include muscle up and rope climb events. Suggested Donation: $ 20.00 Call Brian at 630-885-4297 for times and location details.

Start planning and preparing now!!

CrossFit physical training program

We are NOT a CrossFit affilitate, but we are CrossFitters. That's why you see so many links to CF resources. Please read the articles to learn more about their program, as we'll be referring to it time and time again. In a nutshell: blur the lines of distinction between strength, cardio, sprint, jump, powerlifting, and gymnastics training and integrate the concepts into a single random program. The results are scary!! The workouts are intense, but short. Only do exercises that are practical for LIFE. Do not isolate muscle groups as has been programmed into us by bodybuilders and health magazines. CF is sweeping the nation for a reason...it produces results faster than any program out there. Try the concept. You will probably suck at first....but stick with it. You'll see.

Renaissance Men (and Women)

A rebirth of personal excellence here in 2008? Sounds somewhat odd, doesn't it? We live in an age of dodging obstacles and taking the paths of least resistance. The most popular current self-help resources are those that inflict the least personal pain...diets with no hunger, workouts with no soreness, and religion with no guilt. But going back to Eurpoe a half-millenia ago, quite the opposite was occurring. The Renaissance was in full swing. It was a cultural shift that brought us advances in art, science, and religion. Scholars and artists led the charge to be the best they could be as whatever cost. We at Trinity Training Group are asking the same today...a "personal Renaissance." When we enrich our Minds, Bodies, and Spirits, we see great benefits.

Imagine a day with time spent equally in a gym, a library, and a church. That sort of well-rounded attitude is what pushes the human experience to new levels. Mental and emotional healths tend to be overlooked these days, with a focus instead on only physical wellness. But even physical strength and stamina cannot reach full potential without proper effort spent in spiritual and mental exercises. This blog will address different ways to challenge the Mind, the Body, and the Spirit. We make Renaissance men and women!!

“In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love; they had five hundred years of democracy and peace and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” - Orson Welles