Feel Good Workouts

I assume most of you will read the post title Feel Good Workouts and tell yourself, "Hey, I want to do feel good workouts! What are they?" Well here it is: A "feel good” workout is a fitness session in which almost nothing is accomplished, but during (and following) the motions of exercise you FEEL GOOD. Your guilt-ridden conscience gets miraculously cleared, as if discarded with the few sweat droplets that managed to squeak out of your pores. Feel Good workouts find a home in that wasteland between doing absolutely nothing, and doing just enough to fool yourself into thinking your body exercised. Still want to hear more about "feel good workouts?"

I'm not sure about you, but my time is precious. I have to make serious compromises in life to accommodate my time spent in a gym or on the track or trail. I cannot afford hours each week wasted in mindless, thoughtless, low-intensity workouts that do little for me except make me feel good. I need sessions that actually MAKE me good.

“Feel Good” History

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to police and military trainer Henk Iverson. His company STRIKE Tactical  has turned police firearms and tactical training upside-down here in Illinois, and has now spread across the country.  I anxiously attended my first class, and within minutes of its start, the students were being challenged!  Not what I had expected from someone who depended on OUR registration money to pay his bills.  Henk charged us students as participants in “feel good training.”

He went on to explain how American police officers and trainers develop courses of fire and scenarios that were only difficult enough to give the perception of a challenge.  Henk said we spent too much time on drills at which we already succeed. Where is the challenge in that? He continued that truly effective training demanded that officers need to find their own failing point, and then work through it.  Officers must replicate reality by pressing the demands of speed and accuracy of weapons’ fire.  And additionally, officers must do all this while moving, communicating, and processing new information from the surroundings. This was a tall order. Not what I was used to.

Henk’s statements sunk in immediately. He was absolutely right when he said each string of fire should be carried out with the intensity of a life-and-death battle.  I made a commitment to myself as not only a student, but also as a trainer, to discard all “feel good training.”

Ties to Physical Fitness

As I shared in previous writings, I recently transformed my own personal physical fitness program.  Being a competitor in SWAT competitions, adventure races, and a myriad of other challenges, I realized I needed to change my previous workout routines.  I recalled some of Henk Iverson’s principles of feel good training, and thought to myself, “Am I doing feel good workouts too?” The answer was a regretful “yes.”

I had not been focused on performance. I had instead been doing just enough, with barely the effort to fool myself into believing I accomplished something. I saw relatively little (if any) increases in measurable ability…whether it be speed, strength, or endurance. But I did leave the gym knowing I did a little something. Only later did I learn how “little” it actually was.

I had subscribed to a traditional weightlifting and running routine. I took advantage of mandated resting periods between sets of bench presses and curls. My running pace was a comfortable one, usually just fast enough to struggle with breathing.  Looking back at these routines is somewhat humorous. Then I think about how fit I could have been now if I had learned the theories behind functional fitness fifteen years ago!

The Challenge

For some of you, jumping onto an elliptical machine at the health club is your workout. Others have a favorite trail to run while talking to a running partner. Yet others, subscribe to a weightlifting routine that requires specified times of rest between sets of repetitions….rest periods that frequently surpass the time spent lifting weight. And while you're working out, you feel good. That's crap! If you were truly working out, you'd be dreading it, hurting, gasping for air, feel like quitting, barfing. And then when you'd finish....you MIGHT feel good with a sense of accomplishment. The feel good emotion should not be felt during the workout. If you do feel good during the session, your body is not being pressed enough. If you can carry on a conversation or follow a TV program, you need to boost the intensity. Do not be misguided by a little sweat on your shirt....it's a poor indicator of work.

In my past, my so-called feel good sessions were making me do just that...feel good. They were helping me deal with the natural stresses of life (probably like most of you out there). I enjoyed the pump in my muscles. I liked having a routine and leaving the gym believing I did something positive for my body. But I kept being pestered by a truth that my efforts were not yielding quantifiable results. Two years ago, after I began my slow transition into a functional fitness system, I realized how much time I had been wasting with only small results. Now, my sessions are shorter in time duration. They are higher intensity, and combine a resistance and cardio workout into one.

Functionality

During a true functional fitness workout session, you do NOT feel good. The exercises and workouts are very challenging. They press your body to its limits of speed, power, and strength. This can only be accomplished with a physical effort beyond feeling good. For me, what feels great is when I review my past journal entries and see how much faster, stronger, and powerful I have become. But during the workouts, I feel like crap...constantly forcing myself to ignore signs to rest, relax, or slow down. Those are voices only the mediocre listen to. I refuse to be mediocre.

I set aside physical goals for myself. Sometimes I reach them on time. Sometimes I do not. When I fail at reaching a goal, I reset it: new date, new goal, new plan, new strategy, new effort.  One of my goals is to reach twenty pullups. Another is to complete a 100 Day Burpee Challenge.  I’ve been sticking to a plan. It seems to be working. What are your personal goals?

The next time you are working out, think how you can add intensity to your session. Shorten your rest periods. Add a few more repetitions before you put the weight down. Do the movements faster. These few suggestions will help break the routine of a feel good workout, and begin flirting with a functionality yielding results both in the mirror and in your workout journal.

The same old routine is like the same courses of fire on the pistol or rifle range: boring, static, and just going through the motions.  You must learn new exercises and movements that shock the system into learning a new motion, develop coordination, and fine-tune agility. Learn and practice full-body drills. You must also discard old exercises with a limited scope of practicality: the triceps pushdowns, lat pulldowns, and leg extensions/curls are some of those “limited” movements.

Summary

We all internalize a desire to succeed, and an aversion of failure.  There is a very real risk of failure when one tries to become the best.  Is your fear of stumbling in the way of your potential? I myself hate to fail. But I do it all the time. I cannot reach all my goals on time. I skip a workout session every now and then. But I’m proud to say I get back into the swing and drive on.  Because for every failure I endure, I know there is a victory…a reached goal, a great performance, or a fast run. Those successes make it worthwhile to bounce back from the letdowns. The sweetness of accomplishment trumps both the bitterness of defeat and the tastelessness of mediocrity.

Challenge yourself to practicing a few new functional exercises and reading about the theories.  Anyone can get onto an elliptical machine or stationary bike and figure out how to use it while tuning the TV to a favorite show or reading a magazine. It takes someone with a bit more drive and desire and courage to make that conscious decision to workout alongside the discomfort of true effort. Look at the motto of Trinity Training Group: Committed to Excellence in Mind, Body, and Spirit. It's not about simply going through the motions of a workout. It's not about "feeling" good. It's not even about "being" good. It's about being the best you can be!

Feel Good Workouts

I assume most of you will read the post title Feel Good Workouts and tell yourself, "Hey, I want to do feel good workouts! What are they?" Well here it is: A "feel good" workout is a fitness session in which almost nothing is accomplished, but during (and following) the motions of exercise you FEEL GOOD. Your guilt-ridden conscience gets miraculously cleared, as if discarded with the few sweat droplets that managed to squeak out of your pores. Feel Good workouts find a home in that wasteland between doing absolutely nothing, and doing just enough to fool yourself into thinking it exercised. Still want to hear more about "feel good workouts?"

I'm not sure about you, but my time is precious. I have to make serious compromises in life to accommodate my time spent in a gym or on the track or trail. I cannot afford hours wasted in mindless, thoughtless, low-intensity workouts that do little for me except make me feel good.

For some of you, jumping onto an elliptical machine at the health club is your workout. Others have a favorite trail they can run while talking to a running partner. And while you're working out, you feel good. That's crap! If you were truly working out, you'd be dreading it, hurting, gasping for air, feel like quitting, barfing. And then when you'd finish....you MIGHT feel good with a sense of accomplishment. The feel good emotion should not be felt during the workout. If you do feel good during the session, your body is not being pressed enough. If you can carry on a conversation or follow a TV program, you need to boost the intensity. Do not be misguided by a little sweat on your shirt....it's a poor indicator of work.

In my past, my so-called feel good sessions were making me do just that...feel good. They were helping me deal with the natural stresses of life (probably like most of you out there). I enjoyed the pump in my muscles. I liked having a routine and leaving the gym believing I did something positive for my body. But I kept being pestered by a truth that my efforts were not yielding quantifiable results. Two years ago, after I began my slow transition into a functional fitness system, I realized how much time I had been wasting with only small results. Now, my sessions are shorter in time duration. They are higher intensity, and combine a resistance and cardio workout into one.

During a true functional fitness workout session, you do NOT feel good. The exercises and workouts are very challenging. They press your body to its limits of speed, power, and strength. This can only be accomplished with a physical effort beyond feeling good. For me, what feels great is when I review my past journal entries and see how much faster, stronger, and powerful I have become. But during the workouts, I feel like crap...constantly forcing myself to ignore signs to rest, relax, or slow down. Those are voices only the mediocre listen to. I refuse to be mediocre.

The next time you are working out, think how you can add intensity to your session. Shorten your rest periods. Add a few more repetitions before you put the weight down. Do the movements faster. These few suggestions will help break the routine of a feel good workout, and begin flirting with a functionality yielding results both in the mirror and in your workout journal.

Any fool can get onto an elliptical machine or stationary bike and figure out how to use it while tuning the TV to a favorite show or reading a magazine. It takes someone with a bit more drive and desire and courage to make that conscious decision to workout alongside the discomfort of true effort. Look at the motto of Trinity Training Group: Committed to Excellence in Mind, Body, and Spirit. It's not about simply going through the motions of a workout. It's not about "feeling" good. It's not even about "being" good. It's about being the best you can be!

Kettlebelling Basics

Lately we've been posting a lot about Kettlebells (abbreviated KB or KBs). Here's some more information for some of you beginners.

The basics? A kettlebell is a metal ball, much like a cannonball with a handle. Both the Scottish and Russians claim the rights to kettlebell history. As I say: Who cares? They're great in 2008. I don't care too much who used them in the 1800's. They come in various sizes and options (such as color, rubber coated, handle design, variable weight AKA kettlestack).

The hype? Are kettlebells over-hyped? Yes and No. Yes, because they cost WAY more than they should. Cast metal at $2 per pound plus delivery is unsettling. No, because the benefits of combining weighted resistance training with anaerobic conditioning with full-body movements is terribly needed in modern fitness models. The ergonomic KB design allows for safe and sure handling.

What the heck is a POOD? Kettlebell weights are denoted in several units of measurement: pounds (lbs or #), kilograms (kg), and poods. While most of us can figure out (or find out) the conversion between English and metric units, the "pood" is somewhat of an anachronism. The origins of "the pood" aren't nearly as necessary to remember as it is to know this:

one pood = 36 pounds (or 35 for those with +5lb increment KBs)

1.5 pood = 50 to 55 pounds

two poods = 70 pounds

Many hipsters like to cling to a sense of "old school" by referring to their KB weights by pood, rather than something a little more familiar. I guess there's something ultra-cool about saying, "Grab that one-pood, will ya?" Some trainers and workout material list poods. Remember the conversion.

What size? Most men begin with 35#, but I've heard a few stories of my friends returning to the fitness store to get a 25# after struggling with the weight. Men can usually work up to a 50# pretty easily, and a 75# with considerable work. Women start much lighter. I recommend most women get two KBs: a 15# and a 25#. The spread in weight allows for better control in the more difficult movements, and a heavier workload in the easier leg exercises. I haven't seen many women go beyond a 35#, but the elitist ladies are out there!!

What exercises? Check out internet sites like YouTube for a library of KB videos. I personally like Anthony DiLuglio and Jeff Martone. They've got some great resources. There's virtually no need to spend any money on videos or books. The free materials online are more than enough to get going. Here's some starter movements that I recommend:

Deadlifts (or Squats)

Swings (Russian or American style...doesn't matter)

Overhead presses

Turkish Getups (abbreviated TGUs. Go light, go slow.)

Be careful with one-handed exercises, and those that require you switch hands. They are generally for those kettlebellers with more experience, confidence, and comfort with the basic moves. Be even more cautious with the hand-to-hand drills (denoted as H2H)...those that require you to switch hands mid-movement. I recommend the Figure-8 or Figure-8 Lunges as the introductory H2H exercises. The likelihood of a serious injury is limited by keeping the KB close to the ground :)

Perfect the simple movements before advancing into more complexity. For now, stick with the basics I listed above. Leave the H2H stuff for a little later on. Incorporate some of these KB exercises into your current routine. Work your way up to sets of 20 DLs, 15-20 swings, 12-15 presses, and 8-10 TGUs. A beginner KB workout might consist of pairing up exercises like DLs and presses, or TGUs and swings. Don't factor in rest periods unless you absolutely need it. Keep your body in motion by picking movements that use different body parts....rest one while working another!! This concept is what blurs the line of distinction between cardio and weights.

Welcome to the KB club. Grab your pood...um, I mean 35-pounder...and get going.

Exercise of the Week: KB Figure 8 to a Hold

Here's a great clip from Anthony DiLuglio. Anthony is from Punch Gym in Rhode Island, and featured in the Art of Strength videos. I've found this Fig8 to a Hold to be an excellent ADVANCED movement. I categorize this exercise as advanced because it is both a hand-to-hand (switching hands, abbreviated "H2H") KB movement integrated with complex multi-dimensional body twists or thrusts. Before attempting this exercise, I highly recommend beginner movements that keep constant hand contact with the KB. More intermediate drills might include some H2H drills such as a simple Figure 8. Only then should you attempt such a complex movement.

The Fig8 to a Hold is a super movement to bring into your program if you have already become proficient with simple one-handed movements and a couple of H2H drills. It builds trunk/core strength, and crosses the line from resistance training into the arena of anaerobics.

"Murph for Miller" sponsors & donations

Thanks to the corporate sponsors of this worthwhile cause. The following Warrenville businesses were gracious enough to provide food, drinks, and refreshments to participants of the inaugural "Murph for Miller." An event like this would not have been possible without the support of these community businesses. Please thank them the next time you stop in!!

Atlanta Bread, Cantera

Courtyard Banquets, Warrenville
Dominick's, Danada

Go Roma, Cantera

Jewel, Danada

Potbelly Sandwich Works, Cantera
Rock Bottom Brewery, Cantera

Starbucks Coffee, Cantera

Maribeth Kaye did all the legwork to arrange the donations and then....pickup and deliver the food to the event. Without her, we'd still be fighting over the one package of Oreo's!

Bobby K, Brian M, and Jen M played a very special part on Saturday. If you were there, you know why their parts were so critical. Thanks a ton for your efforts!

Also, financial donations were made by particpants and fans alike for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. At this time, $957 was collected on April 19th, with more money still being donated. Brian M is still collecting donations for the next few days, until he sends the money in. Donations after that time can be made online here. From the SOWF website: The Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) was founded in 1980 to serve members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Special Operations community. A tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, SOWF is dedicated to providing free college scholarships and educational counseling to the children surviving Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Special Operations personnel who are killed in a training accident or operational mission. These services are provided throughout the United States, or overseas, depending upon where the surviving children reside. Click here for more information about the SOWF.

Lastly, here's a great article from the Daily Herald.

"Murph for Miller" results

Here's the results from Saturday's "Murph for Miller." Click here for blog posts and information on the event.

Full MURPH
Mike C 56:03
Lou H 58:47
Kevin H 58:04
Jason C 51:40
Brad H 42:13
Joe R 47:02
Froggy 1:01:05
Mary L 1:08:30,@
Bobby K 39:39
Brian M 43:13
Mark R 47:11,$
Jason H 1:01:02, $
Mark L 1:41:07
Andy P 33:22
Dave A 54:52
Carp 1:36:21
Jim S 47:53

Half Murph
Jen M 41:38
Megan M 22:19, @
Kelly C 22:24, @
Mike P 45:40
Mark A Sr 36:42
Mark A Jr 59:07

@= assisted in some manner
$= weighted vest (holy crap!)

Poll results - How many pullups can you do?

I was surprised by the results of this latest poll. How many pullups can you do?

Zero pullups: 22%

One pullup: ZERO %

2 to 5 pullups: 27%

5 to 10 pullups: 5%

10 or more pullups: 44%

I guess I was expecting more of an inverse relationship. I thought the bulk of answers would be 2-5, less being 5-10, and the least being over 10. Maybe those who responded (or even just browse this blog) are more fitness-minded than the general population...skewing the numbers toward a "fitter" population. Regardless, this is a poll I will be revisiting in the future. I think the numbers will be higher even if I ask again in one month. I for sure will be jumping into the 10 or more category this month. Whoo Hoo!! And I'm positive anyone who answered zero will jump up also! Any future zeroes must be new to the poll :)

Please check out the newest polling question: Favorite kettlebell exercise?

Swallow Cliff workouts - update

If these girls look less than enthusiastic, take into account they just finished a killer running, stair-climbing, and KB workout!

I've been emailing some people I thought would be interested in group outdoor workouts in the local forest preserves. Much to my satisfaction...people are actually showing up. We encounter new faces each time! To those of you who have participated, thanks. You make our experience more enjoyable. I hope we've done the same.

From some responses, I gather (maybe incorrectly) there's a wee bit of intimidation. I encourage you to put aside your fear or anxiety to see what exactly it is that we do. What the more advanced participants do is different than what the beginners do.

Maybe you don't have any equipment at home? I have been bringing a 35lb kettlebell. Some of the ladies have been bringing 15# and 25# KBs. Each of us has been designing a workout that suits our individual needs and capabilities. For some, simply climbing the stairs is a challenge. For others, adding a short KB session at the top or bottom is more enjoyed. Yet for others, incorporating abdominal exercises, pushups, sprints, and advanced /complex KBs is their way to go. Basically anything goes. Come and use our equipment. Just don't make me wait too long ;)

We've been using Swallow Cliff because of the great opportunity to use stairs. Changes in elevation give us the chance to mix up our efforts...from a simple walk up, to jumps, to running, to backwards, to sideways...variety is the key. And the staircase allows us to stay within competitve and motivating view of our partners regardless of their fitness levels. A normal running path would leave huge gaps between partners of differring capabilities, ruining the group spirit!

We are accepting of people from all fitness levels and experiences. You don't have to bring any equipment other than a water bottle and a positive attitude. Regardless of your current program or activity level, try our group workouts in the preserves. Go vertical!

Exercise of the Week - Kettlebell Deadlift

This is the most fundamental kettlebell movement. With a lot of "hype" exercises out there for the KB, the basic building blocks tend to get overshadowed. I preach this exercise as the very first KB drill. It builds comfort with the handle and uses one of the simplist motions that the human body can perform.

Begin with light weight (generally 35# for males and 15-25# for females). Pair this exercise up with pushups and/or pullups for a cicuit that includes some of the most basic movements.

Good luck to friends at World SWAT Challenge

This week, police tactical teams from all over the world are converging in Arkansas for the 2008 World SWAT Challenge. Especially noteworthy is the fact that several friends of Trinity Training Group are participating in the events!

The various events each demand a specific task or skill to be performed by the team. While some of them focus on distanced sniper shots, other events' scores weigh heavily on accuracy from pistols or carbines. However, what is true of most every course is the need for functional fitness! Each event is timed, which brings a much-needed element of SPEED. Along the various terrains are climbing walls, rescue dummies, and low crawls....all done while wearing cumbersome helmets and bulky body armor.

Best of luck to the competitors in Arkansas this week. And remember that no matter who wins in the arena of competition, ALL the communities back home win. They win because the hard work and dedication in training for an event like this also translates into a better prepared team to protect citizens from the threats of real criminals!

Keeping a daily journal

I'm going to talk about journal-keeping. Some of you may have advanced into the age of the handheld PDA, or may be still clinging to the seemingly antiquated pen-n-paper. Regardless of the method, maintaining a simple daily log of fitness activity has tremendous benefit.

MEDIA. First, find a media that suits your needs, capabilities, and budget. I use a spiral steno notepad just like the photo here. I find it very easy to wrap a fat rubber band around the loose bottom and keep it near my area in the gym. I cherish the ability to add information during the workout (we'll talk about what information in a bit). For other friends of mine, they use PDAs to keep track. With the price tag of PDAs, they become just as popular with thieves...so I wouldn't go leaving it laying around. An added feature of PDAs is their ability to interface with a computer, allowing the logger to upload the information into a larger database. Still others use the power of the mind to remember their workout specs, and enter them later into an active computer document. For example, one friend exercises in the gym in the morning, then when he gets to work, he opens up a word processing document that he keeps adding to. He then saves the document and adds to it the next day. Maybe you'll find writing directly into the boxes of a desktop calendar is easiest.

DATA. Think about aspects of your fitness or life that you want to log in the journal. Every now and then I get into a weight-loss phase. I use the right side to keep exercising activity and the left side to keep dietary info. For some of you, maybe your workouts consist of very regular workouts that are repeated. Let's look at one coworker of mine, who is just getting into a functional fitness program. For his first phase, he has five (5) different workout regiments he'll repeat five (5) times, for a total of 25 workout days. The entries of his workout log are short: date, which numbered workout, and duration in time. A sample entry for him is:

• 04-03-08. #3. 23:12.

For him, when he's doing workout #3 next time, he can check his progress (or hopefully not his regression). He might be able to get 25 workouts over 35 days on a single sheet of paper.

Another friend's log also includes how he felt that day, what was most difficult for him that day, or any other information that affected his performance. He uses a word processing document and continually adds to it each day.

Here's a list of certain information that I've seen being kept in a fitness journal:

Warm Up. I like to keep a section each day for WU= that denotes what I did before the actual workout. Sometimes it's as easy as 5min eliptical. Other days, it's more complex like 3rds (3x pull, 10x situp, 10x air sqt, 5x dip, 5x back ext.)

Names of exercises (or abbreviations). Learn the names of exercises or movements. Please don't make an entry that refers to "those things where you bend over and pull it up to your shoulder." There's probably a name for them ;) I like abbreviations to keep entries short. Knees-to-Elbows = K2E and Turkish GetUps = TGUs

Weight used. For a 50lb kettlebell, I use shorthand of 50#KB. Guess what "20#MB" is?

Number of Repetitions. I use the letter X to denote reps. 10x20#MB WBs is shorthand for 10 reps of wallball using a 20lb medicine ball.

Number of Rounds. For circuit training or couplets/triplets, I denote how many rounds of the circuits I did. 10rds (5x pull, 5x back ext, 10 air sqt) is shorthand for 10 rounds of 5 pullups, 5 back extensions, and 10 air squats. That would give a total of 50 pullups, 50 back ext, and 100 air squats.

Time. I regularly keep my time for the workout. I sometimes even denote progress, such as what the clock said at the halfway point. I can see how my fatigue begins to set it.

Tally Marks. I often find my mind playing tricks on me. I have difficulty keeping track of how many sets I've completed. I use tally or tick marks to keep track. Some guys use a white dry erase board to keep tallies (if available of course), but I usually use my notepad (can't do that on a PDA!). During those 10rd workouts, it takes less than a few seconds to make a tick on my page. And I hate when I have to ask myself, "Was that the 7th or 8th round?" Damn it! Better error on safe side and count it as 7, as I'd rather do 11 than 9.

STRUCTURE. Keep a method to your madness. I keep my log very simple. I write the day of the week, the date, and my workout. I even log days of rest with the ever so tricky entry REST usually followed with a smiley face :) I can always look back at past entries and know what I did or how long it took me. Be sure to keep notations clear and consistent. For me, less is more. Look at what your fitness goals are, as well as how regimented/repetitive your program is.

EMOTION. When I say be structured, I do not mean keep it boring. I get a lot of enjoyment when I add a PR!!! which stands for personal record. I also have a few smiley faces next to entries of good performances. Be creative in the ways you show the satisfaction of your workouts.

BENEFITS. There are lots of advantages to keeping a daily journal. It keeps you honest. It forces you to learn the names of exercises/movements. It keeps a record of progress. The progress I see in my journal is a motivator itself......It's working! My program is getting me faster and stronger! A journal also allows you to see the proverbial "holes in the program." These holes are areas that are neglected or avoided. For me, I sometimes see that I haven't done an exercise like RPUs (that's ring pushups in my shorthand) in a while. I need to be sure to get those done within a few days. Lastly, I find a sense of accomplishment in writing down what I did. I get a feeling of permanence when I write it down, as if no one can take this day's performance away from me. It's there on paper!

Get a system. Use your PDA. Buy a spiral notebook. It's really simple....just write it down! You'll figure out a structure and what data to include based on your goals. Now get to it......Dear Diary....

Ego Mosquito

The teeny tiny mosquito. Barely a gram in weight, but what a menace!

I cannot think off hand of anyone beginning a functional fitness program that has not been bitten by the Ego Mosquito. The Ego Mosquito transmits a humbling virus into its victim... virtually bringing it to its knees.

Subscribers of traditional weightlifting and cardiovascular programs slowly (and usually reluctantly) wade into the waters of functional fitness. They proudly cling to a false belief of being a human fitness specimen: benchpressing more than thier bodyweight, ability to run ten miles, spending 90 minutes per workout in the gym, knowing over a dozen tricept exercises. These specimens have been doing their ritualistic exercises for years. And don't see signs of stopping. That is until being slowly preached to by a militant functionalist.

The functionalist is likely a converted traditionalist him/herself. Somewhere along the way, the need for performance and variety morphed him/her into a functionalist...one who prepares for reality, for combat, for career demands, for athletics, for life. And the sales pitch sounds pretty convincing.

So the traditionalist buys into the formula. It makes sense, right? I need something different. And how hard can it be? I workout 5 days a week for 2 hours per session. I'm queen of the eliptical. I'm king of the curls. The transition begins. The first workout is generally something that includes pullups, or air squats, or kettlebells, or deadlifts, or some sick variety of them all. And inevitably, the traditionalist sucks. Or fails. Or barfs. (Oh, I love when they barf!!) And somewhere between the heavy breaths and the humbling epiphany is the bite...from the Ego Mosquito.

The bite is quick and painless, but the virus is lasting. How can I be so out of shape? So winded? So in need of rest? So wiped out? Didn't those hour-long sessions on the stationary bike prepare me? What about all those preacher curls and lat pull-downs? The only cure for the virus is a functional fitness program. But in the meantime, you'll suck for a while. And that's OK. We all sucked. Some of us still suck...just not as much as before! We're getting better, and stronger, and faster.

I bring up the tale of the Ego Mosquito because he bit another one of my friends this week. I think the quote was something like, "Holy crap those air squats damn near killed me." It's only funny because it resembles something we all said or thought when we received our bites from the Ego Mosquito on our Day One. For our friend this week: the bite is humbling. It knocks you down a few pegs. Stick it out. I promise it'll make you stronger, faster, and better than ever before! And before you know it, it'll be your turn to watch one of your friends get his or her bite. (and maybe they'll barf too.)

group workout - Saturday, APR 5, 10am

Friends: plan on a group workout at the Swallow Cliff FP in Palos. The date and time is: tomorrow at 10am. This is super short notice, but then again I didn't realize how nice the weather was going to be until just this morning when I thought to myself, "Geez, we should all get together at the Stairs." I'll try to be a bit more sensitive to everyone's needs in the future.

I'm bringing a solo KB. Bring one if you've got one. If not, we'll figure something out. I just don't have the time today or tomorrow to go and pickup the other equipment I leave at my workplace gym.

Hope to see you there.

SSG Robert Miller Memorial Workout - Preparation

Rob was truly one of our nation's best and brightest. His sacrifice will not be forgotten. For those of you joining us in this tribute on April 19, I commend your warrior spirit and motivation.

It is safe to assume that most, if not all of you are in decent physical condition. To those who subscribe to warrior fitness (i.e. CrossFit, Gym Jones and other functional fitness programs), "Murph" is a workout you have either inadvertently trained for or a challenge you have already accepted as a Workout of the Day. For everyone else, the workload of a full Murph may seem devastating and impossible. Here are a few training tips which may help you complete the challenge in a respectable time while maintaining normal functional use of your legs for the days after:

-Practice Air Squats!! Air squats sound simple. They even feel easy in low numbers, that is, until the next few days when your legs ache miserably and you feel uneasy standing, walking or climbing stairs. Simply allowing the legs to adapt to high repetition air squats through a few weeks or regular training will help your event and recovery time.

-Develop a game plan. Most CrossFit workouts are designed to overload the muscle groups being trained. Attacking the workout without a partitioning plan will almost certainly lead to exhaustion and muscle failure early in the game. Partitioning the pullups, pushups and squats into manageable numbers will provide each muscle group with recovery time between sets. One of the most common partitions follows the "Cindy" WOD:
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Squats
(Twenty Sets)
This allows each system (leg strength, pushing and pulling) recovery time and may allow you to roll through the entire workout without prolonged rest periods. The partition can be changed as needed as the workout progresses.

-Roll at your own pace. For many people, this workout is about finishing a seemingly insurmountable physical challenge. Push yourself as hard as you can, but remember you are only competing against yourself. This does not apply to those of you who are shooting for sub 40 minute times!!!!

I hope to see you at the Memorial!!