Trinity Training Group

EVENT: Intro to CrossFit for Law Enforcement

2012-01-07T14:20:00.001-06:00

The Illinois Tactical Officers Association has paired up with Chicagoland's CrossFit Darien (Darien-Woodridge Illinois) for this event. Many of you readers know I am one of the elected directors of the ITOA. I also sit on its Physical Skills Committee that oversees control tactics, combat fighting, and physical fitness training. The Physical Skills Committee is hosting a beginner class for those law enforcement officers interested in learning more about the CrossFit strength and conditioning system.

Intro to CrossFit for LEOs
Sat, Jan 21st, 2012. 9a-3p.
CrossFit Darien, 8102 Lemont Rd, Woodridge, IL
Event flyer: Click here.

I will be moderating the seminar and will also be one of the presenters. The hands-on portions of the class will be led by certified and experienced CrossFit trainers - WHO ARE ALSO ACTIVE CAREER POLICE OFFICERS AND SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES.

Because all the presenters and trainers are volunteering their time for this event, the price is extremely low: $25 for ITOA members ($65 for non-ITOA members, includes a one-year ITOA membership).

If you've been considering starting CrossFit, this is the opportunity.

The Hard Routine 2011 - Winners and Quitters

2011-11-30T11:05:00.001-06:00

So The Hard Routine 2011 comes to a close today. If you are expecting me to write about everyone is winner, then you have a surprise ahead...

The Hard Routine had all sorts of participants, each with his or her own goals or "rules." That's what I appreciate most about the campaign - everyone sets out on their own path! Some wanted to eat better. Some changed things up with a new exercise routine. Some needed some tweaking, while others required nothing less than a complete transformation. The Hard Routine for some translated into very small changes, as they may have already been living relatively clean lives. For others, it may have been better to call it The Impossible Routine.

I'm so proud of those of you who have contacted me with your success stories. You have all motivated me in unique ways. Please keep up the great progress. Some of you are with me through December on an extension of the campaign. Let's hit the New Year with some serious fitness, health, and wellness!!

There are a couple groups I'd like to separate everyone into: Winners and Quitters.

Here's to the Winners: The winners are those who set out with a challenging set of rules. They put some serious thought into what lifestyle changes would help them in their journey toward fitness, health, and wellness. They printed out and signed their Personal Commitment Contracts, and posted them at their desk at work or on the fridge at home. The winners dragged friends and family into The Hard Routine for support and encouragement. Winners posted photos of themselves, sent out email updates, and used their "support groups" to talk about successes, temptations, and stumbles. Some of the winners even changed course midway through The Hard Routine, re-navigating towards something new and adjusted. Winners pushed away those all-too-easy poor food choices and made tough but deliberate decisions to exercise. Winners have been looking forward to December 1st for two months now. They've thought about some huge pasta dinner, or can of soda pop, or gargantuan slice of chocolate cake - and you deserve it for all your HARD work this campaign. Winners saw The Hard Routine through to the end and will make lasting changes to their lives.

Here's to the Quitters: There are many types of quitters in this campaign. The first type are those who had no real interest in The Hard Routine to begin with. They may have responded to a Facebook event invitation with "Attending" or replied to my emails simply to humor me or to feel included. Maybe I should have been more blunt in the beginning: I don't care if you participate or not. I'm not the one who looks in YOUR mirror each morning. But I do know that there are those of you who responded as participants who did absolutely nothing. Then again, maybe you're not a quitter - that just makes you a liar seeking the approval of others. Moving on.... Then there are those quitters who signed Personal Commitment Contracts with the best of intentions. But somewhere along the way, the only times these folks thought about The Hard Routine was when they found a nagging email update from me in their inbox. Quitters grabbed that guilty beer with friends, ordered the french fries, and slept in rather than exercise. The quitters didn't let me down; they let themselves down. (And sadly, most of them won't even read this message when it gets delivered to their email accounts.)

So, are you a winner or a quitter? I don't think you'll really need to spend much time on the answer. If this post pissed you off -- you're a quitter. Only an angry quitter would find themselves being described in the above rant.

Quitting is alright. You see, you make life for the rest of us easier.....in careers, in sports, in social settings, in school, in hobbies, in interests, in EVERYTHING. While I'd prefer competing for promotions, athletic victories, and good grades against the best competition available, I'll happily accept going against those who quit. It actually makes success for me easier. On days when I stumble or fail, even my marginal and lack-luster performances are better than those of quitters. Simply put, your quitting makes me look better. And I thank you for that. It reminds me that hard work wins out. Always.

Some last words for you quitters: Next time you are passed up for a promotion at work, or fail to get a job offer, or lose a sports game, or keep smoking cigarettes, or don't finish a book you started, or can't fit into that pair of jeans, or need to loosen up that belt - just remember that this most recent expression of loss isn't your first experience at losing. You are a quitter which means you've become somewhat of an expert at failing. And somewhere, someone is appreciative that their competition wasn't challenging enough. The good news is that you can always get back into it and finish up. You can start over. You can commit to a new attitude of winning. It's up to you. No one else.

Go ahead. Look into my past to see when I have quit at something. At anything. At any time. Ever. I may not have always been the first to the finish line, but I did cross it everytime.....

EVENT: "Below 100" Kettlebell Challenge

2011-10-25T18:28:00.000-05:00

The Below 100 Initiative was pioneered by Law Officer magazine to reduce the number of annual law enforcement officer line-of-duty deaths to under one-hundred. There haven't been fewer than 100 LEO deaths in a year in the US in 65 years. To bring awareness to this excellent program, we are advertising an event to be held during the Illinois Tactical Officers Association's 24th Annual Conference in November 2011 at the host hotel (link). Here is the plan:

Donate at least $5 to the Below 100 Initiative fund (Checks made out to "Below 100").

Complete 100 "ground-to-overhead-anyhow" with a kettlebell, as fast as you can.

Top three times will be posted for the following categories:

Open (everyone, using 35#KB)
Masters (50 years of age and older, using 25#KB)
Women (using 25#KB)

Winners will get bragging rights. We're working on donations from various vendors and companies for top performers. Shirts? Police Equipment? Restaurant gift certificates? If any of you are vendors or sales reps, please consider helping out this excellent cause.

Not attending the ITOA Annual Conference? We'll find a way to get you involved. We're always looking for volunteers, especially when we run an event like this -- rep counters, money collectors, participant motivators, etc. If you are from out of town, start a Below 100 Kettlebell Challenge event in your area and make donations to the newly established fund.

What is a "ground-to-overhead-anyhow?" The G2OA requires exactly what the name infers -- the participant takes the KB from the ground (between the feet), grips the handle with one hand, and lifts it any way s/he chooses into a fully upright and locked position overhead. The KB must touch or tap the ground on each repetition. The participant changes hands as frequently or infrequently as desired. What are some of the techniques? Snatch, clean-and-press, clean-and jerk...but the names of the movements aren't important. Most participants use a variation or blending of all.

How'd we pick the 35#KB, the G2OA, and the 100 repetitions? Police Officers, when in physical struggles, fights, or foot chases with criminals, need "burst energy." Typical cardiovascular and weight training does not adequately prepare the human energy systems for these short and intense bursts. We mix the 35# load (or 25#), the G2OA human movement pattern, and relatively short time duration (about 5 to 6 minutes for most participants) as a standard training tool. The 100 repetitions account for the goal of less than 100 LEO deaths per year.

How can I best prepare for this event? Well that depends which "event" you are talking about? If you are talking about that life-and-death struggle, then a well-rounded functional fitness program is the answer. But if you are referring to the Below 100 Kettlebell Challenge, then the plan is more specific. Start by using a 25-35# dumbbell or kettlebell and learn how your body most efficiently moves it from the ground to overhead. Then do it faster and faster. Learn a pace and intensity that allows you to last until the 100th repetition.

We hope to see you at the ITOA's 24th Annual Conference in November. Please find us to knock out your 100 repetitions!

And find the event on Facebook here.

Taking the next step toward Functionalism

2011-10-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

There are those who describe workouts based on MUSCLES and those who describe workouts based on MOVEMENTS. How can you tell who is who? It's quite obvious actually. If you hear someone list body parts when they talk about their exercise session - they align themselves in the "Muscles Camp." If someone talks in terms of Pulling, Pushing, Trunk Extension, Squatting, Lunging -- then you have a Functionalist in the "Movements Camp."

It's been more than five years since I abandoned the "Muscles Camp" for something better. (You can read about my journey in either the Illinois Tactical Officers Association's ITOA News "Get Functional" or the CrossFit Jounnal's "SWAT Shapes Up.") That something better began with Firefighter Jim demonstrating a couple of exercises with his kettlebell. I was immediately hooked. From that day on, I completely ignored everything I thought I knew about fitness, weightlifting, and cardio-respiratory endurance.

My transformation from that day with the kettlebell revolutionized my approach to physical training. My quick switch is definitely an anomaly. It's probably a little unrealistic to expect the same epiphany within those who haven't quite made the commitment to functional fitness. Most of those I know who have flipped sides towards functionalism have done so after gentle prodding, convincing persuasion, and endless pokes. So here are a few more pokes....

I'm going to list a bunch of "Muscles" movements and then list some "Movements" counterparts or substitutions. Keep in mind that we functionalists don't worry about what muscles or body parts are used in many of the exercises, as most are multi-joint-multi-planar moves that cannot be simplified by isolated body parts. If you will not trust the intensity of the programs, at least try these movements for a few weeks. If you don't know them by name, then search this blog for a video or tutorial. If you don't find it here, it'll surely be on YouTube.

STOP: Situps, Crunches, Abdominal Isometrics. START: Hanging-Knees-to-Elbows (HK2E), Toes-to-Bar (T2B), L-sits.

STOP: Curls of all kinds, Lat Pull Downs, cable rows. START: Pullups, ChinUps, Inverted Rows. Then weighted pullups!

STOP: Shrugs, Upright rows. START: Farmers Walk, Power Cleans. Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (SDLHP).

STOP: Triceps work of all kinds. START: Dips, Ring Dips.

STOP: Bench pressing, dumbbell benching, butterflies. START: Pushups, Ring pushups, Plyo pushups.

STOP: Leg press, Leg sled, Leg extensions, Leg curls. START: Air squats, Back squats, Walking lunges, Kettlebell lunges.

STOP: Military press, Shoulder raises. START: Standing Push Press. Push Jerks. Clean-and-Press.

STOP: Stationary bike, Elliptical machine. START: VersaClimber, Concept2 rowing machine.

STOP: Complaining, Bitching, Making excuses. START: Deadlifts, Turkish GetUps, Back Extensions, Burpees.

I concede it is best to learn these starter movements without the added burden of sucking wind in a blistering circuit. Instead, first practice these exercises alone -- and focus on maximizing Range of Motion. Scale or adjust them so you can operate in the full ROM. Each of these movements can be adjusted to account for whatever you want out of your workout program. For example, add weight until you can only perform three to five repetitions if you are looking for strength. Add more weight until only one rep is possible for power. Subtract weight and do a ton of reps without rest if you want to build stamina or cardio-respiratory endurance.

Whatever your physical fitness goals are, you will not be disappointed if you try some of these new exercises. I promise you that a MOVEMENTS approach is more efficient and more effective than a MUSCLES approach. I make the same argument if you are looking to drop your marathon time, increase your 100m sprint speed, gain muscle size, lose fat, jump higher, or (as George Demetriou says) "look better in a t-shirt." I'm not saying this is a cookie-cutter approach. To attain those listed goals, there are different ways to program in those exercises -- but the differences are in weight/load, reps, rest, intensity, and duration.

The MOVEMENTS are the same whether you are a grandma or a Navy SEAL.

The Hard Routine 2011

2011-09-25T14:30:00.001-05:00

By request, THE HARD ROUTINE is back in 2011. We ran the same fitness, health, and wellness campaign back in Fall 2009 and 2010, during the same two months. We'll be back at it this year too!

What is The Hard Routine? In a nutshell: It's a two-month campaign that jump starts positive behaviors in the areas of physical fitness and diet/nutrition. This is an online group that you commit to. There is no set program. YOU set the rules based on YOUR goals and needs. YOU sign a contract with yourself. I send out periodic email updates, some of which include YOUR testimony if you wish to share with the group. (Some of the stories are really inspirational!) Your email address and name remains private (except to me).
Basics: So here is what OUR Hard Routine is all about. Pick some clearly defined behavior and habit changes within both DIET and ACTIVITY categories. Some of the changes will be to add certain foods and activities, and some changes will be to abstain from certain ones. It's completely up to YOU to make those rules and guidelines. I will be here to make some suggestions and help you articulate to YOURSELF what your rules might look like be based on your current lifestyle and body type.
Why a formalized campaign? Because doing this by yourself is a real bitch. Doing this alongside a spouse, coworkers, friends, or family creates a postive support network to make healthier decisions TOGETHER for the two months. "Hey Joe, you want pizza?""No, how about grilled chicken instead." "Yeah, you're right....sounds better." Even if your support group is merely online or through emails, it holds you more accountable than going at it alone. Shared hardships.
Why a specific two-month session? Because goal-oriented training and conditioning must be related to a TIME or an end date. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and it is December 1st! On December 1st, we each can re-evaluate what went good and where we need improvement. We can probably all make difficult decisions regarding food and activity for two months....right? Is this crash diet? Keep reading....
Should I keep a journal? Absolutely!! Keeping tabs on your food and your activity holds one more accountable. It can be as detailed as you are willing to make it...but keep it realistic. If weighing your food on a kitchen scale is your plan, that's a big commitment. Maybe tallying calories is even too much. Also, keep a log of your workouts. It keeps us all honest, and tracks progress too.
Who participates? Well last year we had folks from ALL walks of life. The largest group by far was police officers. But we had grandmothers, housewives, military members, corporate businessmen, and everything in between. Health and wellness knows no bounds.

How did this start? I read an article called The Hard Routine by Jason Dougherty. Some of his points are as follows:

Recognize that there is a benefit to not getting everything you want.
Understand that mental toughness is born of adversity; that it will atrophy if not constantly engaged; and that it carries over to everything you do.
Objectively scrutinize one or a handful of things in your life that you think you need but could actually do without.
Deny yourself those exact things for a specified period of time.

I took his points to heart and suggested to some friends that we try some "hard living" for a few months. It turned into The Hard Routine 2009. We had a group of nearly 120 participants. Last year, we ran it again with the same great results.

THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

What are the physical workouts? You decide. They are whatever you want them to be. For some of you, you are already doing some terrific exercise sessions. For others, you need to get off the couch. I can point you in the right direction. Some of you might start out by walking 30 minutes each day. Others might commit to a more strenuous workout program. I don't recommend joining a gym for this! Let's begin slowly if you are relatively inactive now.
I need workout ideas. We have plenty of ideas based on YOUR goals and needs. Maybe you need strength workouts. Maybe you need cardio workouts. Maybe you need a beginner workout that is easy to follow. Maybe you have access to a gym or health club, or maybe you need to do the workouts at home. I will help you along based on what your physical needs are, as well as what equipment you have access to. Maybe the Prison Workouts (without kettlebell and with kettlebell) are a good start?? For some, walking a certain number of hours or miles each week is a great beginning.
I have no idea where to start regarding workouts. I'll help you. Just ask. Don't let that keep you from participating. No one is too far out of shape to begin. Sitting on the couch is a one way street...getting fatter and more out of shape!
I'm a woman and don't want to get bulky muscles. Many women are under a wrong impression that weight training produces bulky muscles. That is false. Women need weight training moreso than men. It would take a tremendous amount of serious weightlifting and protein supplements to get bulky. Likewise, the words "toned" or "toning" exercises are also false. There are only two ways to get so-called "toned." You must gain muscle, and lose the fat that surrounds those muscles. Weightlifting for women is a virtual MUST.
I have a big butt/tummy/thighs. What should I do? Well, first off, there is a rumor that situps or ab workouts will flatten a flabby tummy. That is called "spot reduction." It's the thought that the ThighMaster gives you thinner thighs. It too is false. To get thinner thighs, you must lose the fat that has settled there. We each have a genetically predetermined place that our fat settles. For me, it's the "spare tire." For many women, it's "grandma arms" or "thunder thighs." If you attempt to target those specific areas, you will find it discouraging...it doesn't work. Never has....never will.

THE FUEL

What is the diet? We each have different eating downfalls. For me, it's ice cream and baked potatoes. Healthy eating choices are critical to making body changes. The diet is what you make it. For me, I'm avoiding alcohol, ice cream, sweets, and chocolate all together. I am limiting starches such as pasta, pizza, and potatoes to only a few meals per week. I will also limit bread and fried food intake. I am also making efforts to add leafy vegetables and nuts every day. But those are MY rules. You need to come up with your own! I'll help you. Last year, one of our participants said "NO" to all fried foods. He was really surprised to see how much of restaurant food is fried, especially appetizers!
This sounds like "crash dieting." Well it is, in a way. Strict dietary rules aren't a way to live your life forever, and certainly not love your life. However, after a couple of months of structured living, maybe keeping a moderate lifestyle will be easier for a bit longer. I'm only asking for two months!

If this is something you'd like to join, please email me at louis.hayes@comcast.net to be added to the email list (blind carbon copy). There will be plenty of email updates once October 1st hits. Until then, check back often! And check some of the posts from last season's campaign here.

Lastly, there is a Facebook "event" created for the campaign. Invite others to participate and share in your hardship this Fall.

Athleticism and Technical Exercise Movements

2011-09-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

Athleticism is a hard-to-articulate term. EndZone Athletics (Washington, US) does a great job at writing about athleticism:

Athleticism can be defined as, "the ability to use a variety of motor abilities (strength, power, speed, agility, coordination, stability, balance, etc.) to effectively and efficiently perform a wide variety of sporting actions." Less complicated than it sounds, this definition simply means that being a great athlete requires possessing a variety of athletic qualities (motor abilities) and being able to use them effectively to perform sporting actions. Although specific "sporting actions" are different for each particular sport, most sports also have many common sporting actions required such as sprinting, changing direction, and jumping. The difference between an average athlete and a great athlete is the ability to perform these things effectively, efficiently, and consistently.

One of the many benefits of functional fitness (specifically CrossFit), is that proper programming develops athleticism in its participants.

Programming includes the scheduling, selection of movements, formatting, repetition or round count, weight/load selection, and combining of exercises into a structured PROGRAM. Good programming is not randomized, though it can appear so. It does however, demonstrate variety. Among DynaMax's ten listed traits of physical fitness (cardio-respiratory endurance, power, speed, strength, stamina, balance, agility, coordination, accuracy, flexibility), some are definitely more "athletic" than others. These are the neurological traits: balance, agility, coordination, accuracy, speed. Other athlectic traits not listed by DynaMax include: stability, rhythm, and reaction. (For more on these skills, read What is Fitness.)

The following are some of the exercises and movements I believe to develop broad athleticism. They make extra demands on the neurological system, not just the physical makeup of the musculature. These movements cannot be completed simply by brute strength or endurance. They require a technical aspect.

Turkish GetUps
Snatch
Hanging Burpee
Clean and Jerk
Kettlebell Figure-8-to-a-Hold (and a Press)
Wall Balls
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDLHP)
Dot Drill
Ring Pushups
Double Unders jumprope

Do all of these movements on a regular basis, even though some do not fit the CrossFit tests of <Measurable-Observable-Repeatable> nor the <Large loads, Long distances, Quickly>. At hte very minimum, do some during warmup sessions. These above listed movements and exercises cause neurological adaptations, honing the athletic traits of balance, accuracy, agility, coordination, and accuracy. You will feel more "athletic" as you edge closer and closer to perfection with these drills.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Truck Tire Flips

2011-08-21T23:10:00.003-05:00

With the acquisition of a new lighter 360# tire for our guys and gals, I should post some educational videos. Keep in mind the largest of the three tires still tips the scales at 505#. The ambulance tire is only ~150# and is a great depth gauge for air squats and wall balls.

What exercises pair up nicely with flipping? Any trunk flexion movement: situps, HK2E, sledge hammer strikes, chopping wood. Battling ropes/firehose. Wallballs. Overhead presses. Pushups. Ring Dips.

What to avoid during a flipping workout? Deadlifts. Lunges. Power Cleans. Snatches. Front Squats.

For more on tire flipping, you can always click the label TIRES.

Flip away. Everyone is doing it!

Tweaks, Turns, and Transformations

2011-08-08T03:15:00.002-05:00

Am I the person I want to be? Do I live the way I want to live? Am I proud of how I treat others?

Admittedly, a considerable amount of my waking time is exhausted contemplating these questions. This past week, a refreshing encounter challenged me to rethink my comfortable answers.

I went back and read an old essay Weeding the Garden as I took some personal inventory. Three years ago, I wrote it as a reminder to analyze my daily and weekly activities for waste and unproductiveness -- and then rid life of those behaviors. (I recommend you read the post, if you haven't already.) For me, Weeding the Garden confronted time mis-management. I had consistently wasted hours in unproductive ways. During my re-read tonight however, I saw something else in it -- Idealism.

What is Idealism? It's a belief in a state of flawlessness rather than reality. For CrossFitters, the ideal of fitness is an athlete perfectly balanced across an endless list of physical skills. Dieters might reflect on Michelangelo's David or a magazine supermodel as their ideal. For Christians, the ideal human life is Jesus Christ. For most any hobby, interest, career, marriage, or thought -- there is a pedestal that comes to mind. It's a materialization of perfection; Conceptualized, yet unattainable.

Turn back the clock a few years. Recall what you deemed as being "ideal" back then. Are you who you thought you'd be? Are you doing what you thought you'd be doing? Are you living how you wanted to live? I'd argue that everyone maintains a constantly evolving image of what is "ideal" - in life, love, career, happiness, finances, or whatever interests you. But the real question isn't whether or not you are closer to yesterday's version of "ideal." It's whether or not you are closing in on TODAY's version!

So what is your today's version of ideal? If you had it your way, who would you be? What would you be doing? Who would you be with? Then you must answer a dreaded question: What changes in your life will help you reach your ideal existence? Some obstacles, problems, and issues are more identifiable than others.

Maybe the first obvious answers are something cosmetically simple like: "I need to lose fifteen pounds," or "Watch less television," or "Clean my garage." (Some relatively minor adjustments to daily life.)
Maybe the answers are more difficult: "I really need to quit smoking," or "Save money for an entrepreneurial dream," or "Go to college to finish a degree." (No, Mom. This doesn't mean I'm going back to school!)
Maybe the answers require a complete change: "Finalize a marital divorce," or "Stop sexual promiscuity," or "Join drug rehab," or "Make amends with a discarded friend." (Sounds like an hour's list of my advice during last night's patrol shift!)

Some aspects of life are more easily changed than others. It's clearly more difficult to confront a rocky marriage than it is to break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. The risks of changing careers is more palatable when you are single instead of having a spouse and children to feed. Starting a savings account is insurmountable when faced with compounding debt. Even old sinful habits continually tempt those with a commitment to Christ. I am not trivializing these tweaks, turns, or transformations. Some barriers to living an idealized life require nothing short of a complete turnabout. But the effort is well worth it. And I argue that NOTHING is impossible. I didn't say it would be easy; I said it would be worth it!

One big change of mine has been an adoption of a more old fashioned approach to life - filled with timeless ideals from centuries ago. These historical principles are just as true today as any time, regardless of popular trend, fashion, technology, or politics. For solutions to many of today's biggest pitfalls and tragedies, we need not look any further than past cultures who had combatted the exact issues. Yet most of us ignore their lessons. The same temptations, distractions, and challenges faced ancient cultures that I experience today.

Aristotle said: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. For me, some habits are easy: brushing my teeth, eating vegetables, fidelity, saving money, daily exercise, honesty. For other habits, I am committed but still struggle: being cautious of pridefulness, sharing my faith, cheering for the White Sox. I believe that each day presents itself with opportunities to turn an act into a habit. I'm getting better at recognizing those chances and choosing wisely. My optimism and resilience have allowed me to make some serious strides towards an idealized living - despite the inevitable setbacks.

Don't spend too much time in regret or thoughts about missed chances. Unlike modern machinery, life has no RESET button. No DELETE switch. We can't turn back time to change those regretful moments. Instead focus on the future and your vision of an idealized life. We can't always avoid accidents, disasters, or unforeseeable emergencies. But we as humans are programmed with something much more powerful: the abilities to react and to change and to press on. Taken as a whole, where you stand today versus where you'd like to be might be miles apart. The long road ahead may seem unchartered and difficult. But we hold many chances to close the distance.

Take stock in who you are today. Determine where you want to be tomorrow. Propose some changes. Take a step. REPEAT.

So....Am I the person I want to be? Do I live the way I want to live? Am I proud of how I treat others? Not yet, but I get closer every day. I'd like to think I'm done with the transformations, left with a couple big turns and lot of tweaks. But I'm not that naive....I'm still a long way off...

BLOG: See Me Get Fit

2011-07-28T09:34:00.002-05:00

Friend and fellow crimefighter Daina C has started her own nutrition blog:

See Me Get Fit

She's a CrossFitter and faithfully studies human nutrition. Daina's blog is still in its infancy, but will surely grow in the weeks, months, and years to come.

Please click on the link and read about her. She's someone you too will trust with your food and diet questions...

Trainers: Taking Your Own Medicine?

2011-07-15T14:00:00.005-05:00

I'll be blunt - Do you follow your own advice?

The reason I ask this is obvious: I hear and watch many folks with strong opinions live and practice differently than they preach. The functional fitness community is not immune to this hypocrisy. Why openly share opinions one way, yet act another? It makes no sense.

Lately, I've seen and overheard some trainers (both fitness and police firearms/tactics) talk up a good game. But I know these guys and gals are simply NOT following or living by their own advice. This has equally frustrated and disappointed me. Is it a fear of failure? Afraid any onlookers will find a chink in the armor? Lose their "expert" label?

I am just a regular guy, with above average commitment and persistence. Don't believe it? Test me. What I don't do is pretend to be something I am not.

I rarely eat bread, potatoes, or pasta, but I do drink beer and eat ice cream. I work out almost duty-day, but once in a blue moon I decide to take a nap before shift instead. In the gym, I often cater to my strengths rather than my weaknesses. I don't overhead squat as often as I should, and spend too much time with my truck tire and sandbags. I read more books than most librarians, but still get distracted by worthless television shows.

But I do not -- DO NOT -- put up a false smile or hide behind any magical cloaks. I openly discuss my struggles and weaknesses, in hopes to overcome them. And I proudly flaunt my accomplishments and victories, in hopes they will remind me of the value of hard work and resilience. I do my best to see issues realistically. I am a regular guy who tries really, really hard.

And I live by the advice, training, education, opinions, lectures, blog posts, classes, and emails that bear my name. Mostly because I believe in it.

But also because I never want to disappoint my listeners and find myself on a list of hypocrites...

RESULTS: 4th Annual "MURPH for Miller" 2011

2011-06-14T22:19:00.004-05:00

I finally completed a MURPH with my SWAT vest!

The 4th Annual MURPH for Miller was a huge success at CrossFit TriCities. There were 104 participants, raising $2900 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Not to mention, we celebrated the life of friend Rob Miller, Medal of Honor recipient.

As a reminder, the grueling MURPH CrossFit workout is:

Run 1 mile.
Do 100 pullups, 200 pushups, and 300 air squats.
Run 1 mile.
Partition the pullups, pushups, and air squats as needed.
Start and finish with a mile run.

I'll spare you the long story about the first time I heard of this workout. I'll simply tell you it involved Brian M and Bobby K. I slowly moved up in fitness abilities to complete my first bodyweight-only MURPH in under one hour. That was 4 years ago. Over the years, my times continued to drop. So this year, I made a simple promise to myself -- do it while wearing my heavy body armor. My time was obviously much slower with the added weight -- 1:17:33. Yup, over an hour. But I did it. My strategy was 33 rounds of 3 pullups, 6 pushups, and 9 air squats (plus the handful of leftover reps). I stuck to the plan, and wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it over again.

I have more persistence than fitness....

There were quite a few military and law enforcement participants this year in the "Body Armor" category. Great job everyone! Thanks for all the encouragement and cheering.

READ: "Are we built to run barefoot?"

2011-06-08T11:24:00.003-05:00

The New York Times just ran an essay on barefoot running. Here is a link to it:

Are we built to run barefoot?
by Gretchen Reynolds

Yes, I'm a "barefoot" runner!! I wear VFFs for nearly all my stairclimbing, kettlebelling workouts, runs, and exercises. I've experienced none of the injuries that are described in the above essay - neither before or after transitioning to barefoot. Maybe it's just a placebo effect, but I'd bet I have stronger toes and ankles now.

However, I have heard of some strains from others who admit to running too many miles, at too fast a pace, too soon after shedding the shoes. It's definitely a practice that has to be gradually adopted. One runner told me she ran with a small CamelBak backpack with a pair of traditional running shoes in them. At the beginning of her transition to barefoot, she changed footwear from (or to) her VFFs midway through her longer runs.

Considering going barefoot? Start out easy! Wear them in the gym or while walking around the house. Or maybe start out on a padded high school track for a few hundred meters.

EVENT: 2011 Illinois SWAT Challenge

2011-05-21T10:35:00.006-05:00

Artwork by Dick Kramer (studio website)

The details of the 2011 Illinois SWAT Challenge have been announced. The two-day event will take place on August 23rd and 24th, 2011. Registration for a 6-man squad is FREE, limited to a total of ten squads. Competition Squads should consist of five operators and one sniper, with a seventh member as an emergency backup. If you need to know the location, get ahold of me.

The five courses that comprise this event test: physical fitness, pistol and rifle marksmanship, target discrimination, teamwork, leadership, communication, and a variety of other individual and team skills.

Why do I post this event on this blog? Those officers with a realistic or practical fitness program tend to perform better under these life-like conditions than those with a "lift-and-run" routine. The competition demands whole-body movements and anaerobic abilities. The (near-)maximal effort of functional fitness workouts replicates the physical demands during these courses, which simulate actual combat conditions.

If you are on a tactical team in Illinois, consider entering a competition squad this year. It tests your mind, you body, and your spirit!

To read a short review on the 2010 event, click here.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Bar-Facing Burpees

2011-05-09T09:17:00.002-05:00

This was a new one for me - BAR-FACING BURPEES. When I saw the name of the movement in a workout, I had to Google it for a video. The first thing I thought was "Why does it matter which way I point my body?" Then I found out why!

Here are some of the demonstrations I found. The top one is obviously faster, but requires a higher degree of fitness. The bottom video looks more like my performance ;)

This is another example of creating a near-foolproof way to prevent CHEATING on form or range of motion. Half-Squaters use medicine balls to gauge depth. Pullup cheats now have to contend with Chest-to-Bars (C2B). Hanging-Knee-to-Elbow frauds now have Toes-to-Bar (T2B). Burpee half-assers now have Bar-Facing Burpees!

READING: Force Science News #176

2011-05-03T11:55:00.009-05:00

Today I post a transmission from the Force Science Research Center, an organization that is likely to be completely foreign to you. It's a science-based organization that examines various behaviors, emotions, physiology, and circumstances during police use of force incidents - specifically deadly force.

While the online archives aren't yet updated to include Transmission #176, I found another site that posts the essay in entirety. Click HERE to read it. Then read my commentary below...

In summary, cops reach exhaustion within 60 seconds of fighting. Even those in good physical shape!

Perhaps surprisingly, this seemed true even of officers with a high level of personal fitness and fighting skill. Blocksidge offers this explanation: “Fitter officers delivered faster and more powerful strikes,” expending greater effort and thus exhausting their presumably greater reserves in “roughly the same time” as those less fit and skilled.

However, what it also points out is that those with good conditioning were delivering more forceful strikes (AKA more power). Does this suggest that officers with more powerful or more rapid strikes, blows, kicks, or knees will stop the threat, thereby ending the fight more quickly? I can surmise yes. So if we have 30 seconds of "fighting time," the officer with more numerous and stronger punches may fare better. Does the fitter officer accomplish in 20 seconds what the more out of shape officer completes in 60 seconds?

We have long known the importance of anaerobic training for these "typical" use of force incidents. YET OVER AND OVER AGAIN I HEAR OF OFFICERS USING LONG DURATION "CARDIO" TRAINING METHODS IN THE GYM. Why? Why? Why? What infuriates me even more is the time that is being wasted in these long, slow workouts on bikes, elliptical machines, and treadmills. I'm not discounting them altogether. But the bulk of our physical training needs to be in HIGH-INTENSITY ANAEROBIC and INTERVAL training.

What does "high-intensity" mean? It means that the workout pace is done at such a blistering tempo, that you reach near-maximal effort for some SHORT duration (usually 30-90 seconds). Then after a recovery time (30-120 seconds), the fast pace is repeated. This can be applied to sprinting/running, weightlifting, gymnastics, fighting/sparring, or virtually any sort of workout discipline.

What I appreciate about the CrossFit brand workout system is the focus on intensity. Their workouts are generally short in time but with a high tempo.

If you are a law enforcement officer and haven't adopted a high-intensity, anaerobic-centric brand of workout session, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Comments, answers, debates are welcomed. However, I caution you that your argument (or excuse) will be responded to in a firm, professional, scientific, and heavily-cited manner. Come prepared. I am.

Police Week Memorial Workout - May 8-15, 2011

2011-03-31T13:00:00.006-05:00

What: Police Week Memorial Workout.

When: you pick sometime during the week of May 8th-15th, 2011.

Where: wherever you are.

Who: you and your friends.

Why: to remember fallen police officers and promote functional physical fitness within the LE community.

This challenge has been dubbed the 75-by-75 because it's just that: 75 pounds lifted 75 times, from ground-to-overhead-anyhow (shortened G2OA). Some participants use technical barbell movements such as the "clean-and-jerk" or "power snatch." Others just muscle the weight up anyway or anyhow. Most use a mixture of different techniques, movements, and grips until all 75 reps are completed. Regardless, it's a true challenge that puts demands on all muscle groups and the cardio-respiratory system.

Standard women's weight is 55 pounds.

Police Officers must be ready to exert high energy for short bursts of time. This workout is designed to replicate the intensity and duration Officers meet on the front lines of crime and violence. Most participants finish between 4 to 10 minutes. That's it! You will suck wind and want to rest and catch your breath. On the street, Police Officers CANNOT quit. For many police participants, this is the first introduction to high-intensity, functional, and practical physical fitness. Those participants with big arms and a heavy bench press don't always fare as well as they'd think.

This is not a fundraiser. There is no charity attached to our event. What we do demand is that each participant do this in memory of a fallen police officer, sheriff's deputy, special agent, correctional guard, or other peace officer. Many of you readers already have a downed friend or co-worker in mind. Others can go to the Officer Down Memorial Page to help find one to commemorate. Many participants pick officers who have recently been in the news or those who protected their hometown.

This year, I am doing my 75x75 in honor of:

PO Thor Soderberg #14767, PD Chicago IL, EOW: 07-07-10.

PREP WORK: To prepare, there are several options. First and foremost, you should replicate the barbell movement from G2OA. Some use a mix of: lighter loads (55-65#) done quickly for more repetitions (75-100 reps) as well as some days with heavier loads (95-115#) done for less repetitions (50-75 reps). This develops a hybridization fitness blending strength, stamina, and cardio-respiratory aspects. We are currently six weeks out from Police Week. This is plenty of time to train your body and mind for a respectable performance!!

For previous years' results and photos, click here. I am not compiling results this year, but would really appreciate if all participants reply to comments with their name, results, and the information on their honored officer. Thanks!

Trinity Training is hibernating....

2011-02-26T14:25:00.004-06:00

Friends, the time has come. Thanks for listening to all my rants and philosophizing over the past three years.

This blog started as a joke, and turned into an outlet for me to organize my thoughts. Along the way, I met some most excellent people, learned a library's worth of information, and shared my rawest, crudest beliefs with anyone who'd listen.

My plan is to maintain this blog for event/campaign promotion...but I'll still occasionally climb up on the soapbox. This is Post #434. I guarantee there will be 435!!

This is 10-6, not 10-42.

Happy Anniversary from Jacky C

2011-02-21T10:24:00.003-06:00

Some of us know her as "5402," but we'll call her Jacky C here. She offered up a motivating personal fitness testimony a ways back. You can read it here. For a little summary: she's in her upper 40's, works full time, a devout Believer, and is down 60 pounds (yes, SIXTY) for the past few years.

Jacky C answered the call for more contributors to this blog:

Today is Trinity Training’s Third Anniversary! I revisited the inaugural post today; may I suggest you re-visit it too? Click to read Renaissance Men (and Women) here.

“But even physical strength and stamina cannot reach full potential without proper effort spent in spiritual and mental exercises” - Lou Hayes

My personal testimony is based on this truth. It took spiritual and mental exercises to create a foundational base to build my physical strength and stamina upon which I stand today. Without that solid spiritual and mental base, my physical strength and stamina would have collapsed by now…. No doubt!

In my personal testimony I shared with you a personal bible verse which I attribute my new state of well-being:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” - Romans 12:2

I renew my mind daily … through reading of scripture, books, this website, the CrossFit Faith website, and by experiencing life daily.

My October 2009 testimony didn’t stop at a 60 pound weight-loss. The “loss” created room for “gain” … I have gained so much wisdom and understanding since that time, and I hope to have an opportunity share with you in the future.

Thanks, Jacky C. She's offered to continue her posts here on the Trinity Training Group blog.

The spectrum of interpretations of functional fitness

2011-02-17T00:30:00.005-06:00

Photo: Motor City CrossFit Michigan

Functional physical fitness is bigger than any of the for-profit banners that try to "own" it. Some of the big names in the game are GymJones, Art of Strength, MonkeyBarGym, RossTraining, MilitaryAthlete, and of course CrossFit. Each of these is strikingly similar, though some of their "creators" might want to distance themselves from the other competiton. CrossFit is by far the biggest, most profitable, most popular, and most criticized.

Because of its popularity, I will use CrossFit as an example. CF is very misunderstood, even by many of the kool-aid drinkers who follow the mainpage to the "T." There is not ONE CrossFit style. There are actually many "interpretations" or "expressions" of CF. The Workout of the Day posted on the mainpage crossfit-dot-com is only ONE expression. Many gyms actually cater to a specialization or a "bias" to a sport or modality. For example, there are a few CF gyms that do a lot of StrongMan events. Another gym began as an indoor rowing facility and has expanded into a CF haven. One CF trainer is an expert on joint mobility and fixing certain imbalances in the limbs. Another gym has a rock climbing wall in the same facility. These blends of CF and sport/specialty are gaining popularity. Some of the "biases" I see are:

Kettlebelling
StrongMan
Gymnastics
Mobility
Parkour
Rowing
Olympic Weightlifting
Powerlifting
(Rock) Climbing
(Endurance) Multi-Sporting
Mixed Martial Arts

Each of these nicely compliment functional fitness. The gyms who have a bias or specialization towards one or more of the above topics intrigue me. The trainers tend to take out some of the randomness (whether perceived or actual), and regularly schedule in some sort of skill practice. They each interpret constantly varied functional movements done at high intensity a bit differently.

While I follow a CrossFit program that holds a bias towards Oly lifts and Powerlifting, I also do my best to work on Mobility, StrongMan, and VERY BASIC Parkour. It's a lot of work to find a balance, but the journey is fun!

I suggest you each do your own research into the world of functional fitness. Find a trainer who can clearly and simply explain his/her program and method - and whose goals AND INTERESTS match yours. Don't let your equipment dictate your workouts - invest in the tools that will help you reach your fitness goals. If you like, enjoy, or need a certain bias -- find it and follow it! Don't fall into that bullshit that we specialize in not specializing.

The spectrum of functional fitness is wide and colorful. And confusing. Education, reading, and research helps clear up the fog. If any of the above listed biases strike you, shoot me a message and I will point you at a few programs that fall into that category.

PHOTO: "We are a Different Breed"

2011-02-10T13:28:00.001-06:00

Source unknown. Click on image to enlarge.

POLL RESULTS: Top Three Exercises?

2011-02-04T10:00:00.001-06:00

old school bodybuilder Franco Columbu

It's taken me a while, but I finally tallied the results from the fourteen responses to a previous survey question. Only fourteen? Yes. But thanks to those who submitted answers. It required more than simply checking a box next to a multiple choice. Click here to see the original post.

What are the top three exercises?

Deadlift (7)
Pullups (5)
Shoulder/Push Press (4)
MuscleUp, Squat, Turkish GetUp, Pushups, Burpees (3)
SDLHP, Clean & Jerk, Thrusters, Farmers Walk, Dips, Snatch, Running, Reverse Burpee, Hanging Burpee (1).

My personal votes went to: Snatch, TGU, and MU.

I know this isn't super scientific. There are plenty of hairs to be split. For example, there were submissions of MuscleUps, as well the sub-components of Pullups and Dips. Likewise, there were Thrusters, as well as Squats and Shoulder/Push Press. Instead of inspecting and arguing the details, take a look at what some functional fitness folks believe to be important movements in their programs. If you aren't doing them, maybe you should....

If you have any others that need inclusion, please add them in comments.

Soup's Jack LaLanne tribute

2011-01-28T11:29:00.000-06:00

In honor of Jack LaLanne, "Soup" remembered him in a unique way. Many of you might know Soup from the post on a do-it-yourself dip station. (According to web tracking stats, that post on DIY dip station is the most visited page on this whole blog!)

Now, to Soup's update:

As I started work on Monday, January 24th, I read a headline about the death of fitness guru Jack LaLanne. I’m old enough to remember seeing him on various shows when I was a kid and seeing some of his fitness feats. I remembered seeing him swimming handcuffed, pulling boats behind him, or dropping to the ground on Johnny Carson or Merv Griffin to do some one arm pushups. Some call him the Father of Fitness, some just called him some crazy old man but he was the first person to bring the importance of daily exercise and nutrition to the households of America.

Fellow bodybuilder and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger credited LaLanne with taking exercise out of the gymnasium and into living rooms. LaLanne once constructed a makeshift gym in his backyard, “I had all these fireman and police working out there and I kind of used them as guinea pigs,” he said. It reminded me of all the things I do now, bodyweight exercises, homemade equipment, Crossfit and challenging myself daily to improve my fitness level.

One of the physical fitness feats that stood out to me was at the age of 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the “You Asked For It” television show. It made me think something stupid, I wonder if I could do 1,000 push-ups. Surely I couldn’t do them in 23 minutes, but over time I bet I could. So after work on Monday, starting at 3:30 pm, I began doing push-ups at work. I knew I had limited time so I knocked out 500 in 40 minutes and had to leave for home. After time with the kids and dinner, I started up again and between 6:00-8:00pm I knocked out 505 more to reach 1,005!

Jack LaLanne once said, “The only way you can hurt the body is not use it, inactivity is the killer and, remember, it’s never too late.”

Rest in peace Jack, thanks for the sore triceps and the motivation.

Soup

Thanks Soup!

WANTED: Writers for this blog

2011-01-25T15:05:00.004-06:00

Do have material you'd like to share with the functional fitness community? or at least the readers of the Trinity Training Group blog?

Simply, I have a couple police academy training projects to work on this winter and spring. I cannot commit the personal time to this blog as I have in the past. It's hard to step back, especially since readership is at an all-time high - and climbing! I have tons of ideas, but have to concentrate the energies elsewhere for a bit -- like in my second job that pays money!

How can you help? I'm always looking for personal fitness testimony. Check out these fitness testimonial submissions on what readers have sent me. If CrossFit, kettlebelling, Prison Workouts, or functional fitness sessions have had a positive impact on your life, you need only to share your experiences! I also look to repost articles and videos that represent the ideals of the Trinity Training Group - excellence in physical, mental, and emotional aspects of life, with a special focus on athleticism, wellness, and fitness. Not everything I post is originally mine.

If anyone is interested, please hit me up. I will gladly assist with blog post editing or formatting. And it shouldn't come as a surprise that I have final say-so as to what gets posted!!! For-profit ventures need not apply. This is a for-the-good-of-mankind project.

Thanks.

EVENT: MURPH for Miller 2011

2011-01-19T11:55:00.005-06:00

The details for the 4th annual MURPH for Miller are set. Here they are:

Saturday, June 11th, 2011. begins at 9:00am.
at CrossFit TriCities (St Charles, IL).
CFTC web announcement
$25 donation to Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

I highly recommend browsing and reading the US Army website dedicated to Rob. You'll understand why those of us who knew or met Rob take an opportunity each year to memorialize his life.

Lastly, if you are looking for a specific MURPH training plan, try these two posts:

See you in June!

KB purchase - Chicagoland

2011-01-14T12:48:00.003-06:00

For those of you in Chicagoland, I'm placing a BodySolid kettlebell order within the next two weeks. If you are interested in getting in on the volume discount, shoot me a message.

The Prison Workouts - a summary

2011-01-10T12:27:00.000-06:00

Here is summary of the four currently available Prison Workouts. Each of the below Prison Workouts were designed for those wishing for functional exercise programs, but lacking equipment. I have been pleasantly surprised by the popularity of the below programs. Many participants have cycled through all of them. Others have repeated programs to gauge progress, or have bumped up the weights used each time.

Prison Workout #1 (link) If I can say there is "an original," this would be it. This program requires nothing more than a pullup bar and floor space -- just like a jail cell. This is a contest between one's bodyweight and gravity. It's a beginner workout because it doesn't encourage higher weights to be used - just one's body. It's also an advanced workout because one can work at a blistering pace to develop stamina and endurance. There are 25 total sessions, numbered 1-25.
Prison Workout #2 (link) This is a followup to the original. The biggest difference was an addition of a single kettlebell. There are 26 total sessions, lettered A-Z. Many of the movement patterns are the same as PWO#1, but with the added challenge of more weight. Most men used a single 35#KB for the entire program.
Prison Workout #3 (link) For those who thought kettlebelling was too trendy, I replaced the kettlebell with a barbell set. PWO#3 is done with a pullup bar, a barbell and weights set, and floor space. There are 24 total sessions, labeled with the Greek alphabet Alpha-Omega. Some of the lifts were more technical, while some stressed strength-building. This is probably the most well-rounded program of the current four in the PWO Series, as it addresses the most aspects of fitness.
Prison Workout #4 (link) PWO#4 is a program that requires three kettlebells - a light, a medium, and a heavy KB. Most men used 35#, 50-55#, and 70-75#. There are 32 total workouts, named in a peculiar code. The availability and fun-factor of kettlebelling encouraged me to put out this PWO that used heavier KBs for strength-building, and lighter KBs for the stamina and agility work. This is one of the more "balanced" kettlebell programs I have seen anywhere. But then again, I might be a little biased too ;)

VIDEOS. Videos of the movements have been posted on the Trinity Training Group blog, in the right column. I looked for those videos with scaling/adjusting options, though they were hard to find in many cases. If links to YouTube clips are broken, use Google or YouTube search features to guide you through.

CHERRYPICKING. Please do yourself a favor and don't cherrypick. Cherrypicking is when you scroll through a list of workout sessions and pick out those that seem like they'd be good, or fun, or "not suck as much." This habit tends to produce athletes with imbalances. Each of the four PWO programs are designed to be gone through from top to bottom: 1-25, A-Z, or Alpha-Omega. If you can exercise only three days per week, then just go down the list and move onto the next session each day you work out. If you skip around, you are missing something. Commit to the program, and become a slave to it.

SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITY. The gym is not life. If the gym is your life, your life is boring. Take time to play sports, hike, paddle, bike, swim, climb, and be active. What I do not recommend is doing one of the PWOs in addition to other bodybuilding-type workouts. These can and should be relatively stand-alone programs -- no other weight or resistance training. If you think you can still workout after these sessions, you didn't go hard enough!! I do recommend other sports and activities, as you'll read below in "Rest and Recovery."

RANGE OF MOTION. Range of Motion (ROM) should be one of the focuses of any of the Prison Workouts, or ANY workout for that matter. First and foremost, mobility is a key component to a productive and quality life. Don't cheat your ROM because you're racing the clock or a competitor. Squat all the way down. Press all the way up. Pull up to the top. Reach your body's maximums at each end of the movement - top and bottom. This maximum will be different for everyone, but each of us should be striving to move a bit more fully as we progress in our programs.

REST AND RECOVERY. Take rest periods during the faster-paced workouts only when you need it. Embrace the "suck factor." Working at high intensity for a shorter time duration has proven to be a much more effective training strategy than going slower for a longer duration. Also, during the week, take days off. I used to take Sundays and Thursdays off, because I used to have a lot to do on those days of the week. I've found that most people cannot string together more than four days with these sorts of workouts. Some folks also like to add an "active rest" day into the mix - rowing, stairclimbing, running, biking on non-PWO days. There is none of this in the PWO Series because of the commitment to minimal equipment. Sometimes a mindless cardio machine, or swim, or trail run is needed between a few days of high-intensity sessions.

PARTING WORDS. Keep in mind that ALL workout programs everywhere are made up by someone, somewhere. I just so happened to assemble those above. I have pirated ideas and formats from others out there, and gave credit when possible. A lot of thought has gone into the PWO Series. I share them with the readers of Trinity Training Group to help them take another step towards optimal human performance.

Commit to one of the PWOs and stick it through to the end!! See how it works for you.

VIDEO: Jonah Lomu (rugby)

2011-01-05T10:00:00.001-06:00

Jonah Lomu is the arguably one of the greatest rugby players of all time. He most famously played for the New Zealand All Blacks. He was sort of like the Michael Jordan of rugby, in that he caused increases in fan attendance whenever or wherever he played. He's 6'5" tall and 260#...and ran the 100m in 10.89 seconds!

As you watch this video, think about the typical American football lineman. An average contemporary lineman is 300 pounds, so 40# more than Lomu.

For those of you not tuned into rugby rules, here are a few that might make more sense of the video:

You cannot pass forward.
You can kick forward.
When you get tackled, you must release the ball.
When you run past the goal line, you must touch the ball to the ground - and scorers try to touch near the middle (by the goal posts) because of where the "extra point" is kicked from.

While I know Lomu has recently competed in bodybuilding, I'd like to learn more about his rugby performance training. If anyone has any information, please send along.

This video comes to us from Steve the Inker.

Year in Review: 2010

2010-12-31T11:43:00.004-06:00

The Year 2010 was another busy one for Trinity Training Group. We're closing the books on one calendar and opening another.

One of the most exciting and stirring events was the publication of my "Beyond the Body" in the CrossFit Journal. Holy crap I didn't expect the response. CrossFit even made it a free article for non-subscribers to access. For a week, I found literally hundreds of positive comments (maybe topping one-thousand) plastered all over the online fitness world.

Another development was the recruitment of childhood friend "Serb" into the CrossFit community. He and his family now belong to Real Fitness, a CrossFit gym in Naples, Florida (I'm still waiting for my commission check). Even from 1,350 miles away, we keep a competitive spirit...just like the biceps measuring contest we did from two different college campuses 15 year ago! Which I won ;)

Here are some other highlights from 2010:

Prison Workout #3 This time, the workouts included a barbell set and a pullup bar.
Fight for Air CLIMB (Oakbrook Terrace, IL) This past year, we wore and carried tactical gear up the tower!
"Trinity Training Group" Facebook page. As of this post, there are 150 registered fans of our page on Facebook. I figured there is so much FBing going on, we better join the trend!
MURPH for Miller (St Chas, IL) event CrossFit TriCities (St Chas, IL) hosted the event to celebrate the life of fallen friend Rob Miller, whose parents were awarded his Medal of Honor by President Obama.
CrossFit Phoenix Fire (Arizona) programming. I, along with a few others, began following this affiliate's programming. It is a GPP program whose interpretation of functional fitness has a lot to do with strength and Olympic weightlifting. I did this for 6 months, and will return to it in 2011 for sure!!
MALTZ Challenge (Chicago, IL). The DEA hosted another event in Marquette Park, Chicago in honor of a fallen Air Force PJ.
Police Week Memorial. I lost count of the number of folks who participated in the "75x75" during Police Week 2010. It will be busier in 2011 for sure.
"ComMANder in the Mirror" workout. Commemorates the service of our previous team commander as his service expired.
Do-It-Yourself series. Our friend Nate began making videos to be posted in our YouTube channel. One of the most visited posts we have is on the DIY dip station.
"Make Stuff Up" Programming series. This was a series of posts that discussed the issues, goals, and pitfalls of workout program design and scheduling.
Ty Warner (Westmont IL) group workouts. A new group of folks emerged in Westmont. Many of them are still going strong with their workouts!
SWAT competition. More proof that functional fitness produces results.
Kettlebell Workshop for Triathletes (Palos Park, IL). I helped a group of triathletes with an introduction to kettlebelling. The cross-training has done wonders for those who have broken into GPP.
Concept2 Holiday Challenge. Rowing 200,000 meters during the holiday season - including a 52k row for Tom G's birthday.
The Hard Routine. By demand, I decided in favor of another Hard Routine. It was even extended for a handful of participants. It's like Lent, a crash diet, and a New Years Resolution all wrapped up into one wonderful campaign.
Prison Workout #4. The latest PWO uses three kettlebells to make strength gains.

Nest news: I'm rolling into 2011 under full power.....

Resolutions for the New Year?

2010-12-28T10:46:00.000-06:00

Please vote in the poll posted in the top of the right column >>>>>>

I've always detested New Year's Resolutions. Not anymore. I realized what repulsed me wasn't actually the resolution-making itself, but the casual attitude toward failing in keeping the promise.

We all know the joke about the mad rush into fitness clubs in early January...versus the same club's emptiness in mid-February.

Maybe one of the problems to resolution-keeping is the unreasonableness of the promise. Do we make pledges that are too demanding, too idealistic, too difficult to keep? If your resolution is to get to the health club five days per week (and you currently don't even own a membership) maybe you are setting yourself up for failure. The same goes for strict crash diets.

I'm recommending gradual changes. Instead of "swinging for the fences," let's try to "hit for average." Go for the base hit rather than the homerun.

For me, I'm going to be continuing much of the rules I put out for myself during The Hard Routine 2010. I'm on a break from my rules from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day. I've made too great of progress to throw this all away!!!

Again, please vote in the poll question posted in the right column >>>>

MALTZ Challenge - event preparation

2010-12-22T11:00:00.001-06:00

Congratulations on your desire to complete the US DEA's MALTZ Challenge, on Saturday, March 19th , 2011. What lies ahead is quite a journey. Some experienced functional fitness enthusiasts need every bit of an hour to complete this grueling contest. Even if you consider yourself to be in elite physical shape, a half-hour is a very aggressive goal. Armed with the right mindset and proper preparation, finishing a MALTZ is not a distant dream. If the full challenge is too much of a commitment, then consider finding scaling options such as Half-MALTZ or Assisted-MALTZ.

There are plenty of exercise ideas on how to achieve this goal. Three pieces that factor into a plan of preparation are:

In what physical shape is one in now?
How much time dedicated per week to prep?
How much time until the event?

Since I cannot address each potential participant's abilities or weaknesses, I have to estimate an average for the first answer - and I'll pick "relatively non-functional." (Even if you exercise quite frequently, functional fitness workouts make demands on a body that traditional cardio and/or bodybuilding-type resistance training does not.) I will also average the second answer, and assume two days per week is fair. For the third question, the Maltz Challenge - Chicago 2011 is about 10 weeks away. Here are SOME ideas for one's preparation journey:

First off, one must learn each of the movements or exercises.

Pullups (yes, kipping is allowed).
Farmers Walk (use dumbbells or kettlebells).
Dips.
Pushups.
Hanging Knees-to-Elbows.
Situps (you can anchor feet, but don't have to interlock hands behind the head).

None are all too technical. Most have been practiced since grade school fitness tests. However, learn them properly so the other participants don't tease you for your bad form!

KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE ONLY IDEAS ON HOW TO BETTER PREPARE YOUR BODY AND MIND FOR THIS CHALLENGE. THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHER METHODS AND PHILOSOPHIES. THESE JUST SO HAPPEN TO BE MINE.

Take one day each week as "Partial MALTZ Day" -- maybe a Saturday? Consider gradually building up each week. Since the event is 10 weeks away, take the first week to run through all the exercises, but doing only 10% of the repetition numbers. For example, only do 5 pullups, 5 dips, 10 pushups, 5 hanging knees-to-elbows (HK2E), etc. In Week 5, those numbers jump to 25 and 50. It doesn't sound like much, but those numbers jump up each week until the last week is the actual event. The actual event requires each movement be finished before moving down the list. Try this on a weekly basis with less reps than the 50/100.

Use other exercise days to develop abilities in specific movements. Some participants might like to work on the complimenting movements on the same day (ex: Dips with Pushups, or HK2E with Situps). Others would prefer to pair up opposing movements (ex: Pullups with Pushups, Dips with HK2E, Farmers Walk with Situps.) There are endless ways to combine exercises, repetition numbers, and set numbers. The following are just SOME examples of what a workout session might look like (each line is a separate day's workout):

Do 5 rounds of: 5 pullups, 5 dips, 10 pushups. (scale down to 3 and 6 reps)
Do 5 rounds of: 10 pushups, 5 HK2E, 10 situps.
Do 7 rounds of: 5 dips, 10 pushups.
Do 7 rounds of: 5 HK2E, 10 situps.
Do 10 rounds of: 5 pullups, 5 dips.
Do 10 rounds of: 10 pushups, 10 situps. (scale down to 7 reps)
Do 25 dips, followed by 25 dips, followed by 50 pushups.
Do 50 pushups, followed by 25 HK2E, followed by 50 situps.

Each of the above sessions should be done As Fast As Possible. Take rest only when absolutely necessary. When even small repetition numbers of 5 become difficult, do 3-2 or 2-2-1, but try to complete 5 before moving on to the next movement. Workouts towards the beginning of the preparation cycle should resemble those at the top of the list. As the event date nears, the workouts should begin to resemble those at the bottom of the list (with larger repetition numbers). Where I posted "scaling" options, if the suggested repetition numbers are too high, then adjust them down. I do recommend keeping the proportions of repetitions equal to the event (ex: pushup numbers are double that of dips).

I purposely ignore the 400m running or the Farmers Walk in these prep sessions. There isn't all that much time to be made up during the 400m runs. The Farmers Walk is more about "gutting it out" than anything physical. During the event, it just plain ol' sucks and burns the forearms. I'd recommend adding in a few unstructured Farmers Walks into a prep plan, but nothing formal.

So with two days per week, that would include one circuit session (in green above) and one Partial MALTZ Day. If you want to add in a third day, have at it. But I would suggest against more than 3 days per week of event specific training. I would prefer one to instead participate in some other fitness programming, such as kettlebelling, running, rowing, stairclimbing, or anything else that doesn't replicate the same movements as MALTZ. Do not overtrain!! Rest and recovery is critical to growth and advancement.

The idea of preparing for an event like this goes against much of the theory behind functional fitness (and especially the brand name CrossFit). However, I believe that when one knows the What and When of a challenge, one should exploit the opportunity to train for it! Read this post that helps explain my position on the difference between a general/broad fitness program and event prep.

Spread the word. The MALTZ Challenge - Chicago 2011 is being hosted at CrossFit Darien on Saturday, March 19th, 2011. The Facebook event page is open to public invitations. The US Drug Enforcement Administration's Chicago Division is the driving force behind the event in our region.

C2 HOLIDAY CHALLENGE: Day 25 and Tom G's Birthday

2010-12-20T10:10:00.008-06:00

Today (Dec 20th), is Day 25 out of the total 30 days of the Concept2 Holiday Challenge. The rules of the challenge are few: Row 200,000 meters between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. An alternate option is 100,000 meters. Participants break up the daily or weekly totals to their own liking.

I am currently sitting at 189,000 meters, plus what I row today. Getting closer.

Now to Tom G's birthday row...

At the beginning of the challenge, Tom G committed to rowing 52,000 meters (over 32 miles) for his 52nd birthday in mid-December. I pledged early to join him, as I've done for his birthday workouts since we've been working out together:

50 - CrossFit's Filthy Fifty (link)
51 - climb Swallow Cliff Woods limestone staircase 51 times (link)
52 - row 52 kilometers.

This past weekend, we were joined by Bob H for the endurance birthday row. We met at Tom's house at 5:45am., each with a C2 brand machine. The pulling stated promptly at 6:01am. No one finished in under 5 hours. Bob reached it first, followed by Tom, finished by Lou.

We each had a different pacing philosophy, but fairly consistent in our plans for about 10k per hour. I'll summarize Tom's and Bob's plans here, and allow them to expound in comments if they wish.

Tom G. Two hours of 10k (resting the remainder of the 60 minutes). Then followed by 2x5k in each of the following three hours.
Bob H. Repeated 5k with 5 minute rest for the duration. He did 57k total for his approaching birthday!!!
Lou H. One hour of 1k each 6 minutes. One hour of 2k each 12 minutes. Three hours of 1k each six minutes. I finished 52k last at 5:10:26. The actual rowing time (as captured by the C2 computer) was 3:53:53. Would I use the same format again if I had a do-over? YES.

I was the least experienced rower of the three, and used a "short work-short rest" interval scheme. Did it work? Well, I finished 52k without ever rowing more than 10k in a day. It sorta correlates to a run-walk plan for a marathon without ever running more than 6 miles in a day. Testament to high-intensity functional movements? Not sure. Maybe. I think even moreso that I went into the event on only 2.5 hours of sleep.

My hands took the worst beating - blisters and calluses. Muscular fatigue hit in my traps, calves, hip flexors, and lats. Tom and Bob each experienced different areas of fatigue/soreness as the event went on. I am guessing that this event exposed each of our weaknesses in that certain movement pattern of rowing. Mine just so happened to be traps, calves, hip flexors, and lats. Thoughts?

Hydration and nutrition were critical aspects of this endurance event. Much like my work-rest plan, I went in with a strategy to drink and eat small amounts often. Fruits, bagels, peanut butter, Gatorade, water, banana muffins, dried apricots. I thought about using energy gels, but thought solid foods might be more beneficial. How many calories burned? about 800 per hour = 4,000 calories.

The worst part -- I wanted to take a photo of my digital readout on the rower when it hit 52k. I found out the hard way that it resets after 50k. What the heck?

I didn't mind taking a 52k chunk outta my 200k challenge. After a day of rest, it's time to get back in the seat and pull some more.

GYM: CrossFit 450 (South Bend IN)

2010-12-17T13:41:00.002-06:00

First, go back and read this post about the South Bend IN Police gym. Then come back and join this current post.....See you in a couple of minutes.

CrossFit 450 (read as "CrossFit for Five-Oh") is for police officers of SBPD only. However, their website is open to all. To visit their website, click here.

They have a great website when it comes to CrossFit Mainsite Programming scaling options. (CF mainsite programming is the "workout of the day" posted on www.crossfit.com.) CrossFit 450's workout options are better than the actual mainsite!! Why? Because they offer all the scaling options right there. Brand X is an online forum that shows one interpretation of scaling/adjusting/substitution options. However, CrossFit 450 posts the mainsite workouts WITH the Brand X scaling options right there.

CrossFit 450 also posts an alternate WOD that usually includes some sort of strength portion and a metabolic conditioning portion. I've heard that some of the guys and gals at South Bend PD prefer the alternate option to the mainsite WODs.

Other links they provide go to sites that focus on Parkour, Nutrition, Mobility, and Fitness Journaling.

It's a one-stop shop for their officers!

Again, I congratulate Chief Boykins, SGT Bagarus, and all those at SBPD for making this happen. It's a huge accomplishment that has the potential to make a real difference in the future!

Event Preparation / GPP, SST, SDP, and EP

2010-12-14T21:30:00.008-06:00

General Physical Preparation (GPP) is a balanced, functional, practical approach to fitness. It has been accepted by athletes who need a strong, integrated foundation of all-around fitness in addition to the skills necessary for their sports. It has been especially embraced by police officers, firefighters, and military troops - to prepare them for "the unknown and unknowable." This GPP method gives the participant a "constant state of readiness," when the challenge or the time are both a mystery.

Sport Specific Training (SST) is more narrow in its approach. A classic example of this the training methods preferred by traditionalist triathletes -- swimming, biking, and running -- and unfortunately, not much else. Other SST methods might be: jump training for a volleyball player, sled pushes for a football lineman, or lateral lunges for a hockey player. This might be used for a specific season, if one exists for the sport.

This differs from Skill Development/Practice (SDP) in that SST is more gym-based strength-building and conditioning. Skill practice focuses on neurological changes in the body - aspects such as balance, accuracy, agility, coordination. SDP might include: throwing drills for a quarterback, punching bag routines for a boxer, or scrum practice for a rugby forward. This too might be used for a specific season.

Event preparation (EP) is a mixture of GPP, SST, and SDP. The formula for EP can be debated in as many ways as there are trainers in the world. Here is my take:

An "event" is a known (or highly predictable) contest or challenge, at a known time, under known (or highly predictable) conditions. There is a huge advantage to knowing what the challenge is ahead of time, and when exactly it is. A proper course can be plotted to bring one's abilities and skills up to meet the challenge, and time it so the climax of training volume or intensity runs right up to the event day. And training should replicate the contest.

For you marathoners out there, the Hal Higdon training program is one of the more famous EP marathon plans. I followed it myself when I ran the 2002 Chicago Marathon. There are similar programs for triathlons and all sorts of other events. I bastardize Hal Higdon's theories with triathlon "bricking" while training for adventure races.

With the growing popularity of CrossFit, other non-endurance events are beginning to emerge. The CrossFit community has used their functional fitness workouts as charity fundraisers. Some examples of the named workouts include: Fight Gone Bad, MURPH, Grace, RANDY, and MALTZ. These challenges aren't the typical 5k run/walk you might see in your neighborhood. These are intimidating if you aren't used to some of the movements such as pullups, clean-and-jerks, Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls, or Wall Balls. Everyone knows what a 5k run is. Only a small sliver of the population (probably way less than 1%) knows anything about Fight Gone Bad!!

Here's one of the problems when a newbie asks a CrossFit coach how to prepare for one of these CrossFit-esque events: The coach usually tries to sell the CrossFit package of broad-general-inclusive to the inquirer. Too many CF coaches try to sell GPP to these folks instead of suggesting an EP program!! Why is this a problem?

An event is KNOWN. For example, take the workout called MURPH (Run 1 mile, do 100 pullups, do 200 pushups, do 300 airsquats, run 1 mile) is very known. The participant knows exactly what the challenge consists of and when it is (however Spring 2011 date not announced yet). Doesn't it make sense to include some very specific programming into this person's plan? Hell yes. To most efficiently prepare for MURPH, it makes absolute sense to do pullups, pushups, and air squats -- and even to go as far as keeping the 1-2-3 proportions of repetitions. (click here for a prep plan I posted a few years ago.) Does this develop GPP? No way. Does it more effectively and efficiently prepare the person for MURPH? Yes. It is reasonable to do MURPH-specific training twice per week, and build this training up until the actual event date. Will following the randomized CrossFit.com workouts prepare for MURPH? Sort of. It will obviously get the person more fit, but just not as effectively for a known event. Why the heck would you take a shotgun approach (GPP) when a scoped rifle (SST and EP) is available?

I'm NOT saying to ignore GPP. I believe all people should have some GPP methods in their training. But it should be balanced when sport and event is on the horizon. I grind my heels in with this stance when the person is a beginner. Many veteran functional fitness enthusiasts can do substantially well on events with no SST/EP....but with SST/EP, that same veteran can begin to reach optimal!!

I will be posting some preparation ideas for MALTZ Challenge - Chicago 2011 shortly. But realize why I post the prep plan ahead of time. Some of you die-hard CFters will argue against this specialization. I hope the above argument satisfactorily makes my point as to why SST/EP work is needed, especially by those who aren't functional fitness participants...yet.

Here is a quick summary of the categories of performance-related training:

GPP: constant or perpetual state of readiness for everything and anything.
SST: strength and conditioning for a sport's specific movement patterns.
SDP: learning and near-perfect repetition for neurological adaptations.
EP: building up to a state of readiness for a specific contest, held at a certain time.

Simply put, study the material that will be on the test!!

Speed Training

2010-12-11T15:00:00.001-06:00

In Illinois, police officer recruits are required to pass what is known as the POWER Test. It's an acronym for Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Report. It is a battery of four tests:

Sit-and-reach
One-minute of situps
1RM bench press
One-and-a-half mile run

There are different standards for age groups and gender. Rules and standards can be found here. Simply put: it's a joke. However, what infuriates me is the last page and the suggestions on how to prepare for the 1.5 mile run.

A similar version of this test WITH STRICTER STANDARDS is required for acceptance and retention to my LE unit.

I get frustrated when I hear candidates (and incumbents) discussing training for their run. So many say they're running three miles, three times per week. Or any other distance MORE THAN ONE-AND-A-HALF MILES. My issue is not that this is bad. Running is good. But from an efficiency standpoint, this is far from efficient. And barely effective at all!!

Science and experience proves again and again that Interval Training is how to drop running times. This goes also for biking, rowing, stairclimbing, and other cardio-modalities. Interval training in THEORY is simple: work sessions that concentrate on bursts of energy, alternated with rest periods, and repeated. In PRACTICE, it becomes much less clear. It turns into fighting between different trainers' camps -- the issues as to frequency (per week), duration of work and rest, duration of the workout sessions, how intense/paced the work intervals are, etc.

Here's my take:

Not many of us are close enough to our fullest potential to worry about all these intricacies. Most of us can simply take high intensity work sessions, factor in some rest, and repeat a few times. Do this 2 times per week. That alone will make changes in speed.

The more out of shape (the farther away from your potential) you are, the less worry you should have about following some magical formula of interval training.

When you get to the Olympic, collegiate, and professional levels, then you need to start using some serious science and math to figure out how to reach your fullest potential (optimized). Until then, tell some of the experts to chill out.

I am doing interval training during my 30-day rowing challenge. The interval methods have already allowed me to drop significant time on my 2k, 5k, and 10k times. I use various interval lengths, including 500m and 1000m --- and I row FAST and HARD for these sessions. I also use adequate rest periods in between (sometimes equal to the work intervals). I find more benefit to rowing 5x 2,000m or 10x 1,000m than a slower 10,000m. While the overall distances are the same, I believe this to be far superior than rowing all the 10,000 meters at once.

In summary, don't get to frazzled with all the science and numbers regarding the "optimal" training methods. They might not be optimal for YOUR fitness levels or goals. However, take the Theory behind speed training and apply these principles to your sessions, in whatever discipline or modality it might be.

C2 HOLIDAY CHALLENGE: Week 2

2010-12-06T11:00:00.002-06:00

Hand blisters and kilometers. That pretty much sums it up.

The Concept 2 Holiday Challenge is proving to be quite demanding -- physically, mentally, and emotionally. The object is to row 200 kilometers between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve (30 total days). I'm currently sitting at exactly 80 kilometers, and taking today (day 12 of 30) off.

There are five us locally who are participating and maintaining a detailed email string. We all come from different backgrounds, but found CrossFit at some point within the last few years. The correspondence keeps me plugging along, and on-track. If you are doing this and want in on our email list, send me a message.

Physically. Hands: I've got blisters healing on 3 of my 8 fingers. Calluses are ready to rip/blister on 3 more. It seems as though when I "favor" a finger during a row, that puts other fingers at risk for damage. At least my pinky fingers are doing OK!! Other body parts taking the brunt: quads, traps/upper back, rear deltoids, forearms. This is proving to be an EXCELLENT training campaign. I'm anxious to see how these adaptations carry over into the rest of my general physical preparation training!! As for the other aspects of my training, I have completely abandoned them during this month.

Mentally. Sounds funny, but the math behind this is intriguing. I don't believe a steady rowing average is the best plan of attack for this. 30 days 200,000 meters / 30 days = 6,666 meters per day. I think a better strategy is to schedule in complete rest/recovery days, and also plan for light, medium, and heavy volume days. As of right now, I have logged a few 5k and 10k days, and one rest day. I also change up each day's attack for the meters. Some days I get on the rower and just plug along for 10k at a moderate pace. Other days, I rip out a few fast 2k's separated by 5 minutes of rest. This style of interval training allows me to get some serious intensity. Another aspect of the mental side of rowing is efficiency of form/movement. Tom G has helped me with boosting my efficiency through monitoring my "strokes per minute" statistic on the digital computer as well as some form corrections. Recording the damper settings is another hint that has allowed a decent 500m pace, yet still keep my exertion down.

Emotionally. On some days, I just don't feel like rowing. However, the mind games I develop for myself do help considerably. I have set goals for myself for this campaign beyond merely completing 200 kilometers. I have some goals for 2k, 5k, and 10k. All are aggressive, but these goals keep me pushing hard during the 1k and 2k intervals. I dread the days when a longer and slower 10k is due. The sense of accomplishment is what keeps me seeking out these sorts of challenges and campaigns. That feeling alone matches any physical fitness gains I'm sure to realize along the way!

How to pass the time? Well I usually put on a television in front of me, but I find that I don't even watch it. Music doesn't really help either, except to drown out the whir of the rower or the panting of my breathing. On some days, I place a ballcap over the monitor to hide the meters readout - to keep myself from over-analyzing all the feedback statistics. During longer sessions, I've been able to use the time to clear and organize my mind.

And did I mention my pants are getting looser?

EVENT: charity open mat at Force Jiu Jitsu (Burr Ridge IL)

2010-12-04T12:48:00.003-06:00

Our friend Dan E sends us this announcement. There is an open mat for charity:

Force Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (website)
7960 S Madison St, Burr Ridge, IL
Sunday, December 12th, 1200-1500hrs.
Donations to Make-A-Wish Foundation

Force Jiu Jitsu in Burr Ridge is hosting our annual Open Mat for Charity with all of this year’s proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Don’t miss this opportunity to help out those less fortunate and get the chance to roll with fellow grapplers from the area.

Everyone who has attended this event in the past has had a great time helping out a good cause. By popular demand we’ll also be organizing tag team matches again this year.

We are also looking to extend the open mat to a nearby venue for a social gathering following the Open Mat. Details will follow.

There will soon be a web link where you can make a donation to this event even if you cannot make it.

Thank You!

For you Facebookers, here is the event link.

The Hard Routine 2010 - OVER?

2010-12-02T11:35:00.001-06:00

The two months of this fitness, health, and wellness campaign are over! Or are they?

I have a dozen friends who have agreed to continue The Hard Routine until Christmas 2010...basically another four weeks. The holiday season is jam-packed with unhealthy opportunities -- parties and celebrations encouraging over-indulgence in sweets, appetizers, alcohol, and simply food in general. Some of us have decided to fight these temptations by extending our "rules" of The Hard Routine. If you want to be included in any email list for the extension through December, email me.

I'm in for the extension. I'm sticking with my Hard Routine "rules" for another four weeks. I saw too much progress to simply stop the forward motion. When Christmas comes, I'll re-evaluate my rules and guidelines to something more sustainable and long-lasting.

I'm down ten-plus pounds. I feel great. I have been eating really well -- both with volume and quality. I've been grocery shopping "the perimeter of the store" -- buying fresh foods that spoil quickly. Lots of meat and veggies. Few starches, and when I did have them -- rice. Almost no sugars. And no booze. The hardest for me to avoid? Bread and ice cream. Of all those desires I had over the last 2 months, the easiest to overcome by far was alcohol. Yet, when I talk to others, they all tell me that it would be the hardest to avoid. Comments or thoughts?

I did the Prison Workout #4, though I only made it through RIMFIRE (the 22nd of 32 workout sessions). I didn't expect to complete all 32 workout sessions, as I couldn't pass up a few opportunities to do non-PWO sessions every now and then. I'll finish up the PWO#4 soon. I also began the Concept2 Holiday Challenge (rowing machine) on Thanksgiving Day. For almost a week now, I've had rowing on the brain....

So how did the 60 days go for you? Fitness goals? Bodyweight goals?

Where from here? I wrote a few posts during The Hard Routine that I'll reference:

Each of those two themes are important to me. First off, forward progress is the journey to your goals. Any step towards an objective is progress. The key is to keep taking positive steps that help fulfill that goal. Secondly, there will be times when you get sidetracked. It's not IF, but WHEN. What matters is how you react to that derailment. My simple advice: Get up and take another step forward. You're back making progress!

Think again about what I said at the beginning of this campaign: This is a jump-start to positive behaviors in the areas of physical fitness and diet/nutrition. If after this campaign you resort back to old habits, what good is that? Embrace momentum.

Make positive changes. Keep some of the "rules" active and in place. Realize those goals!

EVENT: MALTZ Challenge - Chicago 2011

2010-11-30T08:00:00.016-06:00

It's exciting to see a date announced so far in advance. Put in your 2011 calendar:

Saturday, March 19th, 2011. Beginning at 8am.
CrossFit Darien, in Woodridge (Chicagoland) Illinois
$20 donation to the DEA Survivors Benefit Fund.
Click HERE to make an online donation.

The following is from the CrossFit Darien Facebook event:

Worldwide, the US Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors an annual physical fitness event called "The MALTZ Challenge." The workout is named after a DEA Special Agent's brother, Master Sergeant Michael J Maltz. MSGTt Maltz, a US Air Force pararescue jumper, was killed in 2003 while attempting a rescue of injured and sick children in Afghanistan. The MALTZ Challenge commemorates the lives of not only Michael Maltz, but all of those Americans who fight against evil in the world.

CrossFit Darien (Woodridge, IL) is honored to have been selected as the DEA-Chicago Division host site. The CrossFit functional fitness methodology is a terrific match for this event. www.crossfitdarien.com.

The MALTZ Challenge is:

Run 400 meters
Do 50 pullups
Farmers Walk 200 meters with 50# dumbbells (25# for women)
Do 50 dips
Do 100 pushups
Do 50 hanging knees-to-elbows
Do 100 situps
Run 400 meters.

Other options include a "Half MALTZ" (halve the repetition numbers), and scaling alternatives (assisted pullups, knee tucks, assisted pushups, etc). There are endless ways to adjust this event to match yet still challenge your abilities!!

HOW TO TRAIN FOR THIS? A few ideas on how to prepare for this event are posted here. Keep in mind that whether you plan to be competitive or whether you only desire to complete the event, this is no small accomplishment. Give yourself a goal, and stay the path to realizing it!!

For pictures and reviews of past MALTZ Challenge - Chicago events, click here and scroll down through the posts.

For those of you Facebookers, here is the event link. Please share it with others!

C2 HOLIDAY CHALLENGE: Day 1

2010-11-26T13:42:00.005-06:00

I have more than a couple of takers in joining me in the Concept2 Holiday Challenge 2010.

My goal is 200,000 meters by Christmas Eve. Some other participants have set goals at 100,000 meters. C2 donates money to charity based on how many meters the challengers row.

If you'd like to join an email group for the next four weeks, please shoot me an email message. I also thought about creating a "group" on the C2 online logbook. If either is something you'd be interested in, please let me know.

Here's where I was as of T-Day night:

Thanksgiving Day = 8,000 meters.
Remaining = 192,000 meters.
Black Friday = more rowing.....

Pace wins the race! I have a rough strategy: Plan on light, medium, and heavy volume days. Maybe 5k, 8k, and 10-12k days. I'm sure there will be some tweaking as the weeks progress.

People Who Think I'm Arrogant

2010-11-24T13:30:00.001-06:00

You likely have an increased sense that I am either arrogant or disappointed in you....

If you want to quit, but still smoke cigarettes. I am not talking to you if you enjoy tobacco and have no plan to stop smoking. More importantly, this section applies to other vices in life beyond just cigarettes. I'm addressing those who "want but can't" quit anything. A desire to stop destructive behavior is a good start. However, your inability to actually quit concerns me. It means you are losing a battle, due to a lack of willpower and discipline. Temptation is strong. And while I have never smoked cigarettes, I absolutely guarantee you that if I did, I could quit. Probably cold turkey too. I don't care what experts say about chemical dependence. I wouldn't let that habit rule my life. NO WAY. Bragging? Yes, a bit. But there are plenty of those who have done the same. Leave excuses out of this fight. If you want to quit but still smoke cigarettes, you probably lose lots of battles in life by citing excuses.
If you don't live up to your word. My wife learned early on in our relationship that I don't use the words "I promise." Everything I say is a promise. Your words are important to me. My words are important to you. If you say you will complete a task or be somewhere at a certain time, I expect you to follow it up. This is a reputation to cherish. Say it, then do it. It's that simple. If you cannot commit, then say so. I'd rather hear about an uncertainty or maybe than being surprised with an unfulfilled promise. And if I catch you backing out of your word, your name goes into a column of those who I can't trust. And it will take YOU to work your way into the other column. If you don't live up you your word, you cannot be relied on.
If you don't wear your seatbelt. If you don't see the value in your own life, then why the heck should I? No need to continue.....
If you cheat on your spouse. There are few choices in life that are as serious or lasting as marriage. Though, it's been said it's one of the easiest decisions ever. If you cheat on your husband or wife, I can only assume you are a cheater, liar, and fraud in many other aspects of your life. Trust is not a once-in-a-while quality. Your infidelity permeates you. If you cheat on your spouse, why should I believe in you?
If you stay on the ground when knocked down. Resilience is a very positive trait. I don't care how many times you are beaten. I care about how you react after the failure. I probably will actually put more value on those who lose and try again than on those who have always won. I want to see how people respond to obstacles and derailments. If you stay on the ground when knocked down, I will not draft you onto any team of mine.
If you refuse to go camping. I'm quite OK with the occasional self-pampering. But if you deny yourself the opportunity to live the occasional existence as a survivalist, I question your ability to endure hardships in life. You are likely the same one who throws a fit at power outages, imperfections in hotel pillows, variances in home temperature, and elevators being out-of-service. Campers tend to have a better attitude towards the minor inconveniences that life throws at us. If you can cook over a flame or sleep under the stars, you can endure some of the breakdowns in technology and luxury. Camping is planned practice for the zombie apocalypse. If you refuse to go camping, you aren't taking a stake in your own physical survival.
If you don't read books. I said READ, not listen to books on tape. And I said BOOKS, not People or Cosmo magazine. And I don't mean Nicholas Sparks or suspenseful novels either. What I am talking about is non-fiction writings that teach lessons: biographies of US Presidents or inventors, tales of hardships or exploration, accounts of war or tragedy, techniques for leadership or innovation, debates on conventional wisdom or religion, the Bible. I thirst for knowledge, not merely entertainment. If you read these things, you take pride in your personal development. And I probably like that about you. Calling anything you can purchase at the grocery check-out line "reading material" is an insult to those who try to better themselves through written word. If you don't read books, you don't see value in other people's experiences.
If you don't believe in God. God is. True. There is a better chance of rock and metal ore evolving into a Ferrari sports car than a cellular blob evolving into a human being. Evidence of God's existence is all around us. Ignoring that is complete blindness. If you don't believe in God, you are dead.

I make no apology for how you feel when you read this post. What I do promise you is help, guidance, and assistance in putting an end to any of the above personality or behavior deficiencies. Deficiencies? Yes. You are missing something in life if any of the above statements fit you. And I make no concessions.

I live life according to a set of guidelines and rules. If I didn't think the above list was important, I wouldn't share it.

The good news: Life has do-overs. If you want to make change, start soon....

The Hard Routine 2010 - DAY 50

2010-11-20T10:00:00.001-06:00

We're at DAY 50.

I look ahead at the ten remaining days in front of me and think, "Wow, this was easy." Here's how I rate myself so far:

Mon-Sat: Running at about 95% according to my rules of no white bread or pasta. 90% with white rice. 100% with alcohol, potatoes, and sweets.
Cheat Sundays: Not even cheating all that much. I simply don't have that stuff around to house to chow down on. Haven't had ANY alcohol since September. What have I been craving on Sundays? Chocolate. Big time.
Physical Training: Prison Workout #4 is going really well. I'm progressing at less than four PWOs per week, but adding in some trail hiking and stairclimbing each week. I'm really enjoying the unilateral and asymmetrical loading of one-handed KB exercises.
My body: I joking told someone the other day that I'm starting to look like the UnderArmor mannequin at the sporting goods store. (You know, the charcoal grey man who has all the right muscles and bulges in all the right places?) Well that's not totally honest. I am down about 9-10# from September 30th. I have a lot of "leaning-out" to do, but this way of eating is putting me on that path!!

One of my plans was to develop Hard Routine "rules" that would be more sustainable in the long run. I didn't want to crash diet, but I also didn't want to go into The Hard Routine with rules that wouldn't challenge my discipline either. I'm happy with the progress right now.

With ten days remaining, I'm already thinking of ways to extend this mindset into the long haul. Join me.....

POLL: Top Three Exercises?

2010-11-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

With most of the polls/surveys I post, there are multiple choice answers. This is different. It requires you post your own three picks.

If you were only allowed to do three exercise movements for the rest of your life, what would those three exercises be?

The question is simple, but it is not easy. I want to you spend some time pondering your answers. Over the past evening, I have changed my answers several times.

To help you, here are some issues I'd like you to consider: The movements...

will be the only ones you can do for the rest of your life, so pick ones that will test as much as much as possible - most bang for your buck.
can include as much or as little equipment requirements as possible.
can be done with as much or as little weight as you'd like/can.
can be scaled for stamina, strength, skill, speed, or power.
are probably multi-joint/planar.
should include as many of the Seven Primary Human Movement Patterns as possible.
can include a combo lift such as "thrusters" (front squat-push press) but NOT a "complex" (such as a barbell complex that includes deadlift, power cleans, front squats, push jerks, etc). Be reasonable.

I will be posting my Big Three when there are ten responses to comments below.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Weighted Pullups

2010-11-10T11:00:00.001-06:00

Photo courtesy of: Eastside Strength & Conditioning, Redmond WA

The WEIGHTED PULLUP is not really a movement in itself. It is actually an expression of scaling. However the scaling is UP, rather than down! I did a post on pullups before the PWO#1.

This rant is not to explain how to do Weighted Pullups -- add weight and do pullups. Duh. I'm going to discuss some theory and thoughts behind adding weight to this gymnastics exercise.

Almost ALL exercises, movements, or drills can have weight (or load) added. Pullups are no exception. But for some reason, popular culture puts emphasis on the raw number of bodyweight pullups. "Hey, how many pullups can you do?" I can't recall a single time when anyone asked me what my 1RM (or 3 or 5RM) was for pullups!! (Read this post about 1/3/5RMs.)

I believe in heavy Back Squats just as much as Air Squats, in KB/Plate Situps just as much as plain ol' Situps, and in Weighted Lunges just as much as Walking Lunges. The body adapts differently to the added load. When a load is added, there is more emphasis on strength. When the load is removed, there is more emphasis on stamina and endurance. If you call your program balanced, then it better contain BOTH weighted and bodyweight pullups!

So again, I challenge everyone to find exercises and drills within EACH of the human movement patterns (not just pullups) that can be done for both high repetition numbers and for high weight/load. Some trainers recommend you not adding weight until you are able to do between 8 and 12 bodyweight pullups. I know I didn't wait that long....

On a personal note, this past week I did a weighted pullup workout with lots of sets of 3. At the end of it, I got cocky and hung two 35#KBs from my belt. I grabbed the bar, and proudly pulled my chin over it! That +70# pullup is my current (and personal record) 1RM.

PWO#4: Weeks 6, 7, 8

2010-11-08T23:14:00.010-06:00

These are the last dozen workouts for PWO#4.

BLACKJACK
4 rounds, 40-30-20-10 of
##KB Swings
JackKnives
Air Squats

RIMFIRE
10 rounds, descending/ascending reps
###KB Deadlifts, 20-18-16...2
Pushups, 2-4-6...20

SHEPHERD
100 each, partitioned as you wish, of:
Pullups
##KB thrusters (50 ea side)

PURE GOLD
4 rounds of, one-minute each:
##KB F8H
HK2E
Burpees
Recovery/Rest

SILVER
15 minutes of:
5 #KB rear-step lunges (R)
5 #KB rear-step lunges (L)
10 Push Press (R)
10 Push Press (L)
10 #KB One-Handed Swings (R)
10 #KB One-Handed Swings (L)

MARATHON
20 minutes of:
1/2/3 reps of:
###KB TGU (R)
###KB TGU (L)
Burpee Pullup
1 each, 2 each, 3 each, 1 each, 2 each....

CUBED
30 reps for time:
###KB Snatches
From the ground each rep.
Switch hands as necessary.

GRAMS
For 15 minutes:
1/3/5 reps of:
Hanging Burpees
Burpees
1 each, 3 each, 5 each, 1 each, 3 each.....

LEAP
Continuous ###KB Front Squats
One in minute one, Two in minute two, etc.
For as long as you are able.

PEARL
3 rounds, 20-16-10 of:
##KB Deadlifts
##KB Situps
##KB Strict Overhead Presses (total, do half on each side)

SCREAM
4 rounds of, one-minute each:
##KB SDLHP
##KB Slasher-to-Halo
Inverted Rows
Tuck Jumps
Recovery/Rest

SMILES
10 minutes of:
##KB Snatches
From the ground each rep.
Switch hands as necessary.

This completes the eight weeks of Prison Workout #4, with a total of 32 sessions.

Resilience

2010-11-06T13:38:00.011-05:00

resilience [ri-zil-ee-uhns] -noun 1620s. from L. resiliens, from re- "back + salire "to jump, leap."

1. the power or ability to return to the original form, position,etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity

2. an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

Ever play with a children's bop bag? They're the inflatable plastic punching bags that have an envelope of sand in the bottom. You punch them. They knock over. They they pop back up.

But more importantly, these bop bags are a metaphor for one of life's greatest lessons: When you get knocked down, get back up.

There are all sorts of temptations and reasons why we fail during The Hard Routine: lousy work schedules, sickness, kids' activities, family parties, emotional depression, vacation, dinners with friends, busy lifestyles, injuries, marital divorce. Go ahead. Pick a reason. Or maybe call it an EXCUSE. Do these things control you? I doubt that roadway potholes determine your final driving destination. Neither should these obstacles keep you from your goals.

Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don't look back at it too long. Mistakes are life's way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is unseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake of your blunders. How will you know your limits without the occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come. -- Og Mandino

In my life, I have been called "resilient." I take that as an extreme compliment. I think it says a lot about the way I was raised, and how I currently live. Especially in my career, I have experienced many derailments. But I keep asking myself, "Is this problem going to keep me down?" I think you all know how I answer. I'm proud to be not only be standing on my feet, but running at full steam!!

The Hard Routine is HARD. I'd expect most of us to stumble a few times during the two month campaign. However, are you one of those who break one of your "rules" only to throw in the towel and quit? Or are you the one who puts that failure behind you and get back on course? Those of us who have stayed the course have been seeing great results. Join us. Even if you have strayed over the past few weeks.....

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Hanging Burpee

2010-11-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

This video comes to us from one of our own. His experimentation with functional movement yields some pretty cool exercises.

The HANGING BURPEE is one such result of combining simple movements into something sinister. It's really not much more than a Toes-to-Bar (T2B) followed up with a Pullup. I jokingly say "not much more." It makes serious demands on the entire upper body!

For those who follow the principles of the Primary Human Movement Patterns, this couples:

Pulling (down)
Trunk Flexion

Try some Hanging Burpees. Pair them up with something like Back Extensions or Pushups. But not any pulling movements that will tax your grip!

How to scale Hanging Burpees? Do HK2E instead of T2B. Do "jumping" pullups. Do hanging knee-tucks and jumping pullups.

PWO#4: Week Five

2010-11-01T09:00:00.003-05:00

Here are the four Week Five sessions.

CICADA
Chipper workout. Do the following twice (2 rounds):
25 #KB SDLHP
25 walking lunges (unweighted)
25 pushups (with hands resting on the sides of a single tipped over KB)
25 #KB Goblet Squats
25 #KB swings
25 #KB situps
25 Mountain Climbers (50 total steps)

WHEELER
3 rounds.
6 KB TGUs on each side.
Use ###KB for Round 1, ##KB for R2, and #KB for R3.

CLUBHOUSE
Continuous timer. One in minute 1, two in minute 2, etc.
Hanging Burpees (video link)
For as long as you are able.
Rest 5 minutes.
Continuous ###KB Front Squats (rack or goblet)

SCORE
KB G2OA
2 minutes with ###KB
3 minutes with ##KB
4 minutes with #KB
No rest.
Use snatch, C&P, or C&J as necessary.
Score is total poundage lifted (add up each of the three "reps X weight").

Week Five is gonna be hard!

Sustained Progress

2010-10-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

sustain [suh-steyn] -verb (used with object). late 13c. from O.Fr. sustenir "hold up, endure," from L. sustinere "hold up, support, endure," from sub "up from below" + tenere "to hold"

1. to hold up under; withstand: to sustain great provocation.
2. to keep up the vitality or courage of.
3. to maintain or prolong.
4. to undergo, experience, or suffer (injury, loss, etc.); endure without giving way or yielding.
5. to keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way, as under trial or affliction.
6. to keep up or keep going, as an action or process: to sustain a conversation.

Over the last few years, I've found an appreciation for the derivation of words, especially those with Latin influence. It gives me a better understanding of the meaning of the word and how it should be used in writing. SUSTAINABLE is a term that fits quite nicely here.

Easy question here: Are you living a sustainable lifestyle?

I ask this because of what appears a high rate of gung-ho fitness attitudes jumping into sedentary lifestyles. It's demonstrated most clearly and accurately in health clubs in early January. We have all either seen or experienced the cycle: get fat over the winter holidays, get disgusted at how our clothes fit or how we look in the mirror, make a promise to ourselves to change, go hard at some fitness routine, decrease the frequency of the routine, quit, stay fat, console self in a quart of ice cream, etc.

There is another group I ask this question of: those who are currently living poor lifestyles and losing to bad habits. This lifestyle is definitely NOT sustainable. Something will crack. We see it everyday in those who struggle to get off of the couch, breathe heavy after climbing a flight of stairs, or can't take a sightseeing stroll on vacation. Something has to change!! Maybe you don't sympathize with the above description, but are you headed down that path?? If you committed to The Hard Routine, you promised to make adjustments to your future.

There is no doubt that The Hard Routine has the same potential pitfalls as the New Years Resolution. However, I hope most of you took my advice to pick rules that are tough, but sustainable for two months. The goal is to NOT revert back to a crappy lifestyle at the end of two months, but to rather take some of the momentum into a NEW lifestyle. Like I said before, I still hold onto some of the good habits from last year's Hard Routine 2009.

I am so proud of many of our readers and followers of Trinity Training Group. So many of you have made serious changes in not only physical fitness training, but diet and nutrition as well. Testimony proves these adjustments and tweaks have caused positive outcomes in other aspects of your lives as well - better sleep, more energy, self-confidence, fewer sicknesses.

This is not a race. There is no end. No finish line. This is life.

If you think you're going to commit to a new fitness program at seven days per week, and quit your daily fast food run, and snuff out smoking or drinking in the same 180-degree backflip --- you are setting the table for failure. Sorry to be the pessimist here, but you are going to FAIL. You will peter out if you sprint out of the gates.

Find small changes AND STICK WITH THEM. Slow and steady progress is the path to becoming what you desire. People assume I workout everyday because of my passion for fitness. The truth is I rarely exercise more than 4 days per week. And almost never 6. NEVER 7. Like all of you, there is more to life than the gym. There is more to life than weighing my food. There is more to life -- I drink beer. Smoke the occasional cigar. Stuff my face on holidays with the family. But by the way my pants fit and by the entries in my workout journal, I am convinced I don't celebrate too much.

But the first step to change is finding some of those obstacles to health and wellness, and making progress against them. Sustain.

READ: "Physical Adaptations"

2010-10-26T10:12:00.000-05:00

The latest fitness article published by the Illinois Tactical Officers Association is now online.

"Physical Adaptations"
by Louis Hayes

This essay discusses some of the different ways we cause and experiences changes in our body -- both positive and negative.

I regularly contribute to the quarterly ITOA News journal with fitness articles geared toward police officers. The entire online library with physical fitness articles written by TJ Cooper, Brian Melvin, and me are here and always in the link in the right column >>>>>>>>>>

PWO#4: Week Four

2010-10-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

Here are the Week Four sessions.

LUCKY 13
13 ###KB snatches (each side)
13 ##KB snatches (each side)
13 #KB snatches (each side)
These are from "the hang," or "swing snatches."
Replace with C&J if you cannot do snatches.
Do not partition each side. Do 13 on one side before switching to the other!
Total of 78 reps.

TOMCAT
Continuous timer. One in minute 1, two in minute 2, etc.
###KB SDLHP
For as long as you are able.

FAME
24 minutes of 30/30 format (see HEX for rules) of:
Pullups and #KB Front Squats
#KB Slasher-t0-Halo and ###KB Figure-8
Burpees and #KB situps

PAWNS
7 rounds, 5 reps of:
#KB F8H&P (5 presses on each side)
##KB walking F8 lunges (5 steps each side)
The F8H&P is a Figure 8 to a Hold, with a palmed bell press (not holding handle) at top of the Hold.

Keep plugging away even if you have fallen behind the 4 workouts per week pace. I surely have fallen behind. I will continue to post 4/week.

Strength Matrix - a journal for people getting stronger

2010-10-23T09:46:00.010-05:00

I created a new journaling document for our readers. It's a Strength Matrix. The table allows athletes to document certain lifts/movements according to 1/3/5 RMs.

To download or print the Strength Matrix, please click here. Sorry to those who have had trouble downloading off of Scribd in the past. Until I find another way to allow access to documents, we're stuck with Scribd. If you can't print it, send me an email, and I will send you the PDF of the same.

USING THE MATRIX: After you've at least reviewed the Strength Matrix, here's how I recommend using it: Keep this with your fitness journal. Whenever you do a strength workout that includes one of those lifts, document the 1, 3, or 5 RM (and the date too). Let's imagine that the workout calls for 5x5. If during the course of your last set you only manage to complete 3 reps, you can count that for a 3RM if you'd like! Our goal is to keep replacing previous entries with higher numbers! That's how we know we're getting stronger!!!!

Yes, I know the boxes are small. Write small. I wanted to get as much info on a single page. You want bigger boxes -- make your own.

I'm going to take this Strength Matrix and backfill it with as many previous 1/3/5 RMs as I can. If you look at this Matrix and tell yourself, "I can't fill in any of those boxes. That's not the stuff I do." Guess what? YOU AREN'T STRENGTH TRAINING!! Maybe you're doing resistance training. Or weight training. Or whatever the heck some fitness magazine calls it. But you are not doing strength training. Quit calling it that. You insult people who actually do strength work. It would be equivalent to going on a 3 mile walk and saying you're preparing for a marathon.

STRENGTH POSTS: If you click here, you will be taken to all of my recent posts regarding strength training (including this post). The posts include rants, insults, and challenges to our readers.

The Hard Routine 2010 - WEEK FOUR starting

2010-10-21T22:01:00.011-05:00

A Hard Routine participant sent the above to me on Day One. I cropped off her name to preserve her privacy. Click on each of the scans to see a larger, more read-able view. The below excerpts were also part of her email to me:

Well, I finished my contract and I can honestly say that this was probably the most in-depth I have ever gotten when I analyzed my diet/workout habits (the contract is attached). I decided that I've been half-assed in my attempts to take on some of the programs that you have so graciously offered for free ... yet I am willing to pay for a gym membership I never use which doesn't seem to make any sense. So I've given up on the gym membership and I'm starting on the bare bones approach of working out with the equipment I've purchased over the last few years as a result of my exposure to crossfit and your blogspot ... By filling out this contract, I realized it was about making a mental change in the way I thought about adopting a workout regimen ... this challenge will hopefully help me make that mental change in my thought process to adapt being fit into my daily life.

I'd really like to see what sort of progress she's made so far. I'll let her post to comments if she desires.

Why do I share this contract and email? I believe it's a perfect summary of most all of our own individual Hard Routines, and the same reasons why we each committed to these two months. By writing down our rules, it seals a covenant with ourselves and with each other.

I can barely believe that three weeks have already passed. I have been taking regular doses of my own medicine: Prison Workou #4. It's been a great return to strict kettlebelling - a return to my roots of sorts. I like the cardio-endurance, balance, coordination, agility, and stamina aspects of the heavier KBs - especially after almost SIX months of a strength and Olympic lifting bias CrossFit program. I got strong as heck, but I needed a change. And my uniform shirts started getting tight in the shoulders and lats!!! Yeah!! But a return to KBs is good.

Diet? Going great. Haven't even been cheating all that badly on Sundays. I went ate some white bread buns and a handful of potato chips while tailgating at the Chicago Bears game last weekend. Most proud of my steering clear of all alcohol. And been eating a lot of veggies!

Lastly, please take a moment to answer the poll question at the right >>>>>>> regarding The Hard Routine, and what has been the most challenging for you.

PWO#4: Week Three

2010-10-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

These are the four Week Three workout sessions:

NINER
3 rounds of:
9 ##KB Squat Cleans (Left)
9 ##KB Push Press (L)
9 ##KB Squat Cleans (Right)
9 ##KB Push Press (R)
Squat clean begins at ground between legs, and includes a FULL front squat once the KB gets "cleaned" to the rack. It is NOT meant to be a Power Clean-Front Squat combo. Allow the clean portion to be efficient with the KB getting into the "rack" near the bottom of the FS.

DIME
4 rounds, 15-12-9-6 of
HK2E
## KB Good Mornings
Tuck Jumps

SNAKE-EYES
5 rounds, 5-4-3-2-1 of:
##KB TGUs (R)
Pullups
##KB TGUs (L)
Pullups

BOXCARS
20 minutes of:
3 ###KB High Pulls (R)
3 ###KB High Pulls (L)
3 ##KB Thrusters (R)
3 ##KB Thrusters (L)

As you can see, the rep numbers are low when the weights are high. If you don't have heavy enough KBs, then double or triple the rep numbers.

READ: "The Best Damn Cardio Article - Period"

2010-10-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

This article isn't of the same class of the typical stuff I post.

"The Best Damn Cardio Article - Period"
by Nate Miyaki

It's posted on T-Nation.com. It's predominantly a bodybuilding site, more concerned with looks than performance. However, there is still value in some of what they post. This article has a lot of merit.

NOTE: This link is NOT necessarily work and family safe. There are some scantily-clad ladies in some of the sidebars.

VIDEO: Jerry Rice

2010-10-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone doing structured or regular hill training?

I have a real appreciation for running hills. There is a hill in a local forest preserve trail that is so damned steep (McClaughry Springs Woods, Kean Ave btwn IL-83 and 119th St, Palos Park, IL) We will go out there just to run up, jog down, run up, repeat! It's a great interval workout session. The intensity of running upwards is virtually unmatched.

The problem I see most with interval training is how so many people go for too long of a duration, or don't take long enough recovery intervals. In order to see the optimal gains in performance, adequate recovery is a must. And the "work" interval has to be short enough so the athlete can maximize AND MAINTAIN speed and intensity.

Jerry Rice is a stud. He uses this hill not for interval training, but rather as a conditioning tool. His attitude and work ethic is great, even in retirement.

EVENT: Kettlebells for Warriors

2010-10-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

CrossFit DuPage (Lombard, Illinois) is hosting a unique training opportunity. The Kettlebells for Warriors is a series of events across the nation helping the Wounded Warrior Project. Here are some of the event details:

When: SAT 10-16-2010, 1000-1700hrs.

Location: CF DuPage, Lombard IL.

Cost: $150 for KB session, $50 for MMA.

Registration: This link is probably the most useful information.

PWO#4: Week Two

2010-10-10T11:35:00.005-05:00

These are the four sessions for Week Two.

PENT
Turkish GetUps
5 TGUs w/ #KB (ea side)
3 TGUs w/ ##KB (ea side)
1 TGUs w/ ###KB (ea side)
Repeat for 15 minutes.
Ex: 5R, 5L, 3R, 3L, 1R, 1L, 5R, 5L......

HEX
"30/30" format for 24 minutes (30 seconds of work, followed by 30 seconds of recovery, 30 seconds of another exercise, 30 seconds of recovery, 30 seconds of the first exercise....)
First 8 minutes: Pushups and ##KB swings
Next 8 minutes: #KB F8H and #KB situps
Last 8 minutes: Air Squats and Inverted Rows

SE7EN
3 minute bouts of max rep one-handed G2OA (AKA Snatch Test) with 3 minutes of recovery between each (total of 15 minutes)
Use ###KB for first interval.
Use ##KB for second interval.
Use #KB for third interval.
KB must move from tapping ground to locked-out overhead on each rep.

OCTA
25 Pullups (or 50 IRs)
50 #KB Front Squats
50 ##KB Push Press (25 ea side, can be partitioned)
50 Situps
50 ##KB Deadlifts
50 Walking Lunge Steps (no load)
50 Pushups
25 Pullups (or 50 IRs)

Go hard.

The Hard Routine 2010 - WEEK ONE

2010-10-07T20:45:00.002-05:00

Week One is over. Start Week Two.

Easy enough to say. In some respects, after only a week, new habits can take bite. Once some of our "bad" foods get eaten up, anything new we buy is part of the program. And new daily routines become the norm instead of painful changes. For me, healthy nutrition is in direct proportion to my grocery shopping. Good shopping = good eating. And I am shopping well.

However, for some who may have laced up their Hard Routine plans too tightly, they might be craving some basic treats from the "No List." Without a little flexibility, strict plans of denial might lead to either complete breakdown, or in the case of even a small cave-in -- an extreme sense of guilt.

I had one such break yesterday. We got stuck on a LONG unexpected assignment at work. Absolutely NO chance for lunch break, NO eating-on-the-run, and NO access to any food. So ten hours later, we gang-rushed the stack of pizza boxes for whatever we could grab with two hands. At one point, I was eating next to two of our Primal Blueprint "Groksters" laughing at how violently we shoveled that pizza into our mouths!! In years past, I would NEVER have eaten that pizza -- out of a deeply rooted commitment to my promise. I knew guilt would consume me. However, this year, I simply justified it as a way to keep from passing out from low blood sugar. Weak? Maybe. Post arguments to comments....

If you've had a hard time this past week, that's sorta the idea. It's not meant to be easy. That's called every other month up until now: The Easy Routine. If your Hard Routine rules are going to be unsustainable, then make some changes. Keep the big picture in mind --- small positive changes to our daily habits. We're hoping some of the "rules" will morph into habits beyond the end date of Dec 1st.

I've received some totally awesome emails from participants. I need to get back to some of the senders for permission to repost (either by name or anonymously). They are great!! Super motivational.

Again, if you aren't getting my email updates (like the one with a link to this post), then get in touch with me.

Lastly, if you have comments to share with the group, you can post them on the following Facebook pages:

The Hard Routine event
Trinity Training Group group

Keep it up. Stay strong.

PWO#4: Week One

2010-10-06T09:34:00.004-05:00

For the program, I recommend three different KBs: light, medium, and heavy. For me, those weights are: 35#, 50-55#, and 75#. But I will use the following key in the plan:

#= light KB

##=medium weight KB

###=heavy KB

UNI
5 rounds, 25-20-15-10-5 of
###KB deadlift
#KB situp
The KB situp requires the KB (held in the hands) tap the ground both above the head, and between the legs.

DUECE
15 mins AMRAP
8 #KB Walking F8 lunges (8 total steps)
3 ##KB strict OH presses (3 each side)

TRIPS
20 mins AMRAP, repeating sets of 1-3-5
###KB Front squats
Pullups
Example: 1ea, 3ea, 5ea, 1ea, 3ea.....
Front Squats can be held either in goblet or in rack. If in rack, be sure to use both sides.

QUAD
5 sets AFAP
5 ###KB SDLHP
10 Burpees

These four workout sessions constitute Week One.

PWO#4: Week Zero

2010-09-30T02:00:00.002-05:00

The workouts will be published in blocks of one week's worth at a time. At the conclusion of the 8 weeks, I will then release the whole schedule as a single document here.

The following needs to be said: Depending on what YOUR goals are, this workout program may or may not be for you. Whether this plan will help you reach your goals depends on not only your current physical state, but also what sort of loads/weights you choose to use or have available to use. MY overall reason for publishing another workout series is to give options for our readers. If you decide to make adjustments to what I publish, I suggest these guidelines:

If you are looking for the blend of strength-endurance, follow the workout as closely as possible. This is not a pure strength program, and it is definitely not a pure cardio program either. Many of the MetCons use heavier loads than you might be accustomed to.
For "light" MetCons (circuits), use a weight that allows you to complete all the repetitions in a given exercise in a single set. If you find you are required to put the KB down and take a breather DURING A SET, you are probably using too heavy of a weight. Rest is probably needed BETWEEN exercises or rounds, but not before a set is complete.
For "heavy" MetCons (circuits that call for heavier weights and low rep numbers), the weight should be such a burden that the low repetition numbers is challenging. If you are breezing through it, you're defeating the purpose of a "heavy" MetCon.
If you don't have heavier KBs for the strength-building sessions, then you should probably double (or triple) the repetition numbers. For example, if the workout calls for 3 KB snatches @75#, and all you have is a 55#KB, bump that number of reps up to 6 or 9. You will get a different physical adaptation from this session by altering it in such a way, but that's what you get for not having the right equipment!! It is no longer a strength-building session, but rather a stamina one.
Let's put it this way: If you are looking to get stronger, use heavy KBs. You might consider cutting some of the rep numbers to cause this. If you are looking for more cardio-respiratory endurance or stamina, use a lighter KB and bump up those rep numbers.
Avoid changing up the exercises. Do the prescribed exercises, and change something else (reps or weight). The exercises are programmed in a specific order over the course of many weeks. This is a PROGRAM. We're not cherrypicking random WODs. There is variety, not randomness. Randomness means there is not a plan, rather programming is left nothing more than the roll of dice. I, on the other hand, have a plan.
Mono-modal WODs are those that only incorporate one exercise or one movement. An example of this is the US Secret Service Snatch Test. Some of these "tests" will be repeated over the few weeks. Be sure to record your "scores" to gauge progress.

Before setting into the PWO#4 ask yourself some serious questions.

Do I have a KB that is so heavy I can only muscle it up (jerk) over my head less than 5 times at best while completely rested? Or can do less than 10 high pulls (to height of chest) with?
Do I have a KB that is moderately-weighted so that completing eight to ten strict standing overhead presses with it is nearing failure? Or that 10 F8H hand-offs is challenging?
Do I have a KB that is light enough that I can do hand-to-hand (H2H) one-handed swings for 20 total hand-offs? Or can do 10 TGUs unbroken on a single side?

These are some guidelines as to what I mean by heavy, medium, or light KB loads. If you are missing one of these three KBs, you will need to make some of the above listed adjustments. If you try to go through the whole PWO#4 with only one KB (example: a man using 35#KB), you can surely do it -- but you will have to make some changes in repetition numbers and will see a different adaptation in your body than someone with the heavier options available. I myself will be out of town for one week during the campaign -- I will have to make repetition number adjustments based on what limited KBs I can bring along.

Also, if you are so new to kettlebelling that you don't know what most of the above verbage means, either click here for a glossary, or go back to PWO#2. As I've said before, strength-work with a KB for a beginner is a recipe for disaster and injury. Couple that up with some of the H2H juggling, and one will likely get hurt. Beginners: Go to PWO#2 and learn all the movements first. Prepare your body with a light load, at maximums of Range of Motion, at higher rep counts, with good form.

Happy kettlebelling.

EQUIPMENT: Medicine Balls

2010-09-28T17:00:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of: MotorCity CrossFit Michigan

Medicine Balls? What is this? Gym class in 1940?

The multi-million dollar functional fitness trend has caused a resurgence of quite a lot of "old school" gear. The medicine ball is just one the pieces getting resurrected by this bare-bones fitness movement. And this stuff is not cheap. Don't expect old school pricing.

DynaMax (www.medicineballs.com) medicine balls have been the most popular. They are sturdy and durable. Weight options range from 4 to 20#. They are 14" in diameter, regardless of weight. You have probably seen these MBs in the following two CrossFit exercises:

Wall Ball (link)
Squats (as a gauge under your butt to ensure proper depth/ROM)

If these are your only two MB uses, you wasted your money. DynaMax MBs cost between $75 and $115. I find it more than somewhat funny how the company actually tries to DISSUADE customers from buying their most expensive models. The salespeople at DynaMax suggest lighter MBs for athletes. They say the only customers who buy 20# MBs are CrossFitters. And then they take our money and laugh.

If you are looking at more moderately-priced options, check out Garage Gym, Title Boxing, or Everlast -- none of which try to talk you out of their most expensive models! I have two from DynaMax and two from Title Boxing. I do my best to keep the Title MBs inside, as the covers aren't as durable.

There is another popular MB company: D-Ball (www.d-ball.com). D-Balls are smaller at 8-9" diameters. They are "dead-blow" MBs. This means there is no bounce off the ground. These smaller diameter MBs have applications for one-handed throws and slams, where a larger MB would be too big to grip or hold. If your budget is only for one MB, I'd suggest one of the above three vendors, and NOT one of these D-Balls.

So what to do with all these different types of medicine balls? Slams, throws, tosses, twists, passes, and scoops. I'll be getting back to posting an Exercise of the Week. Just don't expect one every week!

QUOTE: about training and preparation

2010-09-25T13:00:00.001-05:00

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses --

behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road,

long before I dance under those lights.

-- Muhammad Ali, professional boxer

I hesitated to post something by someone whose worldview is such a radical departure from my own. I'm willing to ignore some critical differences for the moment and accept that Ali has something to offer us all. Say what you will about Ali's politics, religion, and personality - at one time, he dominated a professional sport. His pro record was 56-5-0.

My comments on the quote?

Contests and competitions are merely exams. They are the opportunities to determine if your training and preparation have been working, or slacking. Folks exercise for all sorts of reasons: stress relief, fat loss, habit, guilt. However, if your training is meant to actually make you better at some physical task or challenge, then you need frequent "tests."

I've experienced all sorts of personal successes and failures. I look back on times in my life when I was the victor standing over some "challenger"....whether the challenger be an actual person or an abstract goal or feat. I've also been that defeated, dejected loser lying on his back wondering what happened. I know both emotions well.

Some of my training time and efforts were completely wasted by adhering to un-truths. Other times, I could definitively say that my training pushed me to win! We must learn how to cause the proper physical and neurological adaptations in our bodies to become more able and fit. But without those opportunities to succeed or fail, we can only guess to the effectiveness of our efforts.

So what sorts of challenges, sports, events, contests, or other measuring sticks do YOU use to gauge progress and keep your fitness program on track?

RECAP: Triathlete Kettlebell Workshop

2010-09-22T09:32:00.009-05:00

On Tuesday 09-21-2010, I taught some kettlebelling to a local triathlon group. This session, at 75 minutes, was a breeze-through of introducing and practicing the most fundamental movements. I write this blog post as not only a summary for yesterday's students, but also as a reminder for many of us who have picked up this discipline and have gone stale.

KBs can be used to cause physical and neurological adaptations in each of DynaMax's ten physical skills. For you CrossFitters, you've seen this list plenty of times, as CFHQ has adopted it as one of their definitions of fitness (What is Fitness? article):

Strength
Cardio-Respiratory Endurance
Speed
Power
Agility
Coordination
Balance
Accuracy
Flexibility
Stamina

There are specific movements and drills that can be used to polish-up the above list of fitness components. For example, heavy KBs can be used to build strength. Lighter KBs can be "juggled" for accuracy, or lifted for high repetition count for stamina. Mid-weight KBs can be thrown for power development. However, one must first understand his/her personal goals before jumping into a KB program. A very strong person might desire stamina or C-R endurance -- in which case s/he should be using mid-weight or light KBs for high repetition counts (and very little or no rest). An endurance athlete might pick a weight that is so heavy, only three or five reps is possible at a time (with plenty of rest between sets).

There are seven primary human movements. Here is a piece I did about these movements. The movements are:

Pushing
Pulling
Squatting
Gait / Lunging
Trunk Flexing
Trunk Extending
Trunk (Anti-) Rotating

There are four main positions that are used during KBing. These are:

The Load - The KB is on the ground, between the feet, on the imaginary line connecting the heels. One hand grips the hanlde. The butt is down, the chin is up, the shoulders are back, and the chest is big. Heels are flat on the ground.
The Hang - The KB is hanging between the legs. The body is in the Triple Threat position -- as if shooting a free throw, about to field a ground ball, or set up as a middle linebacker. Weight is balanced on the mid-foot, knees and hips are gently bent, head is up.
The Rack - The KB is nestled at shoulder-height. Ribcage is "protected" by the forearm. No grip is necessary -- fingers can "wave hello" as the weight is balanced in the web of the hand. Palm faces chest. Body is erect.
The Up - The KB is held high overhead. The body is erect. The shoulder cap is driven towards the ear. The head is vertical, not tilted to a side. The KB is inline with shoulder, hip, knee, and foot for maximum stability. Palm is forward or slightly twisted outward.

Some of the movements learned were (each is a link to video demonstrations):

Before anyone starts to combine these movements into a workout session (or more importantly, a workout program), I recommend reading this series of posts: "Make Stuff Up" Programming. You'll have to read them from the bottom up, as the blog lists the posts by date published. Remember that functional fitness is about MOVEMENTS, not muscle groups. Pair up different movements (Ex: thrusters with high pulls or pullups; SDLHPs with presses or pushups; deadlifts with TGUs or situps) to create effective workout sessions. There is a lot of so-called science to developing workout sessions and programs. I learn something new each week about it.

Lastly, click to access the Prison Workout #2 (the one with kettlebells). The PWO#2 has 26 workouts, meant to be done in order, one at a time.

Thanks to MJ for inviting me out. And to Q for carting out hundreds of pounds of iron.

And to all: Happy kettlebelling! I hope to see you out again for a workout now that you all know the moves!!

VIDEO: Why Kettlebells?

2010-09-20T10:27:00.004-05:00

Dragon Door has been one of the top names in kettlebelling since the trend exploded a few years ago. They have a huge library of online videos available here. I will say this: There aren't all that many free resources online about the actual workouts -- that might take money out of the pockets of enterprising kettlebell trainers! It's easy to do a YouTube search and find tutorials on how to do a specific exercise. However, the development of a workout SESSION (one workout) or a SCHEDULE or PROGRAM (long term plan consisting of many workouts) is virtually non-existent in online forums.

How do I recommend beginning? Learn a few of the exercises or movements individually at a slow and deliberate speed or intensity. Check the right column for some of the better videos I've pirated online >>>>>>

We recently had a group purchase of 1475# of kettlebell iron. If you do the math, that weight equates to over 42 one-pood (35#) KBs. Of course not everyone purchased 35#ers! Many of the women are in the 25# range, while men are graduating to 55# for some lifts. There were even two 100#KBs in that order!! With this much iron among the local kettlebelling disciples, we are gaining more and more folks with experience to share. The so-called "Ripple Effect" is amazing.

Keep in mind that we have The Prison Workout #2 for kettlebelling (also can substitute a dumbbell in many cases). Also coming next month, is The Prison Workout #4, also with kettlebellls. I do NOT recommend beginning with PWO#4 if you haven't done PWO#2. The plan with PWO#2 was to create metabolic conditioning (cardio) through the use of multi-planar and multi-joint body movements at relatively light loads. There were a large variety of movements, and high repetition counts. The plan for PWO#4 is to develop more strength-endurance by using much heavier KBs during some portions. I include some workouts with near-maximal loads. Simply put: unless you have heavy KBs (men: 55+, 70+; women: 35+, 55+) you probably won't get much out of this.

Is The Hard Routine 2010 the opportunity you've been waiting for to commit to a 60-day kettlebell program? My introduction to functional fitness was through a 12-week program of nothing but KBs!

The Hard Routine 2010: Nutrition

2010-09-18T09:26:00.005-05:00

One thing is certain in the field of health: what is common wisdom today can easily become "misapplied science" tomorrow. What's "in" this year may be "out" next year. Often it's hard to arrive at the right answer.

--Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple

For me, The Hard Routine is more about eating and fueling than it is about physical activity. I'm already doing damned near exactly what I want/need to regarding a fitness program. I follow a fitness model/philosophy that I believe to be "the best of the best." My activities change very little during these next two months of the campaign. My challenging adjustments come in the kitchen and the grocery store. That's where I push myself out of my comfort zone.

There are many current nutritional models gaining speed and popularity. Not as diets, but as lifestyles. Despite the word "diet" in their names, many of these are quite sustainable throughout life...at least that's what my friends say! While some plans have drastic or distinct differences, I believe they are more similar to each other than different. Here are some of them:

Primal Blueprint (sister site of Mark's Daily Apple)
Paleolithic Diet (also Paleo Diet)
The Zone Diet
"Shop the Perimeter" -- Google it yourself!
Intermittent Fasting (Wiki link)

I only list a few sites above, on purpose. Flooding readers with information doesn't help. And I only want to share some of the plans that our friends are currently using as guidelines for their eating. They have and are seeing great results --- results seen in their mirror, in their waistline, in their gym and physical performances, in their sports, and in their overall daily feelings.

How can I summarize what "healthy eating" is for me?

Limit: sugars, sweets, processed/canned/boxed foods, starches.
Eat more: lean meats, leafy veggies.
Grocery shopping: buy stuff that spoils, "shop the perimeter" of the store.

My Personal Commitment Contract specifies "sweets" and "potatoes" as Absolute Stop Consuming. While this might not be sustainable for my lifetime, it is certainly attainable for 60 days! So what do I substitute with those items?: healthier alternatives such as fruits/melon, and more vegetables. Life cannot be a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid. But for 6o days, you bet it can. I still have a lot of healthy habits that have stuck with me since The Hard Routine 2009. For example, I almost never go down the aisles of the grocery store. Almost ALL my shopping is in the perimeter of the store. I'm looking to jumpstart a few more healthy habits for the future using the campaign this year.

Lastly, for those of you CrossFit Journal subscribers, here is a quick link to all their articles on nutrition.

For your Personal Commitment Contract be sure to challenge yourself, but use nutritional challenges that are reasonable and sustainable for 60 days...if not longer!

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: The San Francisco Crippler

2010-09-12T11:27:00.004-05:00

Seriously, if this workout hadn't come up in my programming today, I would have never picked it myself. For those new to CrossFit, you might think this isn't much for a whole day's workout. Yeah OK.

The San Francisco Crippler
30 back squats at 225# (155# for women),
Row 1000 meters.
For time.

In my research, there are several CrossFit workouts named "cripplers." They almost all include 30 back squats of various loads (some call for bodyweight). Some replace the 1000 meter row with a one-mile run.

How did I do? I finished in 5:56. I did the squats in one set (no racking the bar), though there were brief standing rest periods. Squats took 1:45. Including getting to the C2 rower, strapping in, and getting started rowing, the 1000 meters took 4:11.

It did not take long to realize why it's called The SF Crippler. Two hours later my legs almost buckled as I walked down a set of stairs!

I share this workout because of it's uniqueness. It demands strength-endurance. At 225#, the squats aren't heavy. However, the volume is high. This can be considered a "Heavy MetCon." The load is high, yet it taxes one's conditioning too. My current program (CF Phoenix Arizona Fire) uses A LOT of heavy MetCons in their schedule. So you still ask, "Why is strength so important?" The answer is not "so you can do these types of workouts." It's so you can complete tasks in real life that involve moving large loads, long distances, quickly. And then repeat.

Try this workout. If 225# is too heavy -OR- you don't have access to a rower, make adjustments. The Newport Beach Crippler is 30x225#, then run one mile. The Crippler (original) is 30xBW, then run one mile. Scaling beyond those results in a non-RXed performance.

EVENT: Concept2 Holiday Challenge

2010-09-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

This is a VERY early announcement of the Concept2 Holiday Challenge. Some of our readers have been contemplating purchasing a C2 indoor rower. This might be the spark to make that happen. Here is how the challenge works:

Row 200,000 meters (scaled 100k option too) between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve!

That's it. However, for our friends who have attempted/completed it, they say it's a real contest to maintain that volume of rowing.

Few things can be as terrible as the 100 Day Burpee Challenge. I hope this doesn't turn out to be one of them.....

Who is with us??

POLL: Old Results and a New Question

2010-09-07T09:10:00.005-05:00

Results from the last question posted: In which of the below personal survival skillsets do you have an interest learning? You may choose more than one answer.

Unarmed defense / MMA (68%)
Combat firearms (15%)
Parkour (15%)
Knife-fighting (10%)
Cry-and-Assume-Fetal (6% - jokers!)

This does not surprise me. The growth of MMA fighting is staggering. Trainers with backgrounds in wrestling, boxing, BJJ, grappling, Krav Maga, or any other martial art are trying to make their "product" mesh within the MMA arena. I'm sure this will have some sort of impact on our culture. Not necessarily a bad one either.

I'm only guessing here: Maybe the number of those wishing combat firearms training is low because many of our readers are police officers who already get this training? Just a thought.

I'm still amazed at Parkour. Some of the steps I have taken on my SLOW journey to be a parkourist are simply some natural instinctive vaults over objects. I want to incorporate more and more into my repertoire.

A new question is posted >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My daily workout journal is.....

handwritten.
BeyondTheWhiteboard.com.
another online service.
computerized spreadsheet (Excel?).
barely better than scribbles on cocktail napkins.
still yet to be started.

I recognize some of us use a couple of different "systems." For example, I handwrite my journal in a spiraled steno pad. However, I also upload some benchmark workouts to Beyond The WhiteBoard. Choose what you do for your regular workouts.

RESULTS: regional SWAT competition

2010-09-01T09:43:00.013-05:00

Congratulations to FIAT Green Squad (posed above) for being named overall champions during a local Police SWAT competition yesterday. L-R is Hurt, Nicky G, Josh, Jew, Soup, and The Reverend. These guys put out not only physically, but with stellar marksmanship and teamwork. Even though these guys beat my FIAT Black Squad, I'm so proud of them -- afterall we're one team!

Two of the above photos were taken during the O-course, hence no gear or weapons. The telephone pole maneuvers called for coordination among members. So did the climbs up and over the shipping container with the heavy red rescue dummy.

The event consisted of five courses, with the fifth and final course being the dreaded physical exertion course (or obstacle course). Each tactical course lasted around 4-7 minutes (raw times), and the O-course lasted between 15-25 minutes.

All the competition squads put out an outstanding effort. - DuPage Sheriff SOS, Bolingbrook PD REACT, Illinois Dept of Corrections TRT, and FIAT SWAT Taskforce. To those two teams who backed out last week: You missed an incredible experience. Thanks too to the "Red Hats" - the safety officers and judges who scored targets and kept the event rolling. This was an inaugural event that will surely grow in future years. I can't believe there hasn't been a statewide competition/challenge in Illinois for years! Hopefully this will become that event! Here are the top standings:

FIAT Green (tie breaker with IDOC)
Illinois Dept of Corrections
FIAT Black

I won't bore you with all the details, but here are few talking points -- especially how they relate to physical fitness:

Markmanship: Each course was scored by completion time. Missed pistol and rifle shots came with 20-sec penalties. Missed sniper shots has a 60-sec penalty. Simply put, you cannot out-run or out-maneuver those time penalties. You MUST make shots. And to make shots, you must pace your running and exertion, have the fitness and wind to control your heart rate and breathing, and stay concentrated on the task. It makes no sense to sprint to the firing position, only to wait until your breathing is controlled. It's better to jog or lollygag to the position and get shots on target faster. Hits count.
Procedures and Rules: All of the events were simple enough so members could remember the rules, procedures, or orders of tasks (at least in a calm and controlled state). However....with a little bit of stress and a lot of fatigue, rationale and logic began to fade. Focus turned from the course rules to physiological functions such as breathing and elevated heart rates. Yet again, without a solid base of fitness, thinking became jarred.
Teamwork: Working as a coordinated six-man unit is just as critical as being a squared-away individual. Team members need to have an understanding of several strategies during each of the events. Also, team members need to recognize when to change strategies or responsibilities, specifically when it relates to shifting a physical burden to a more able member. Few strategies last an entire event. Team captains and members have to have to call "audibles" like a quarterback in football. And the team needs to not only understand the requested change, but be able to transition immediately.
Physical fitness: Functional fitness is king. Obstacle and tactical courses do not distinguish between strength or cardio. All job-simulation courses demand a hybrid fitness and preparedness. Bodybuilders with "huge guns" don't necessarily fare well. These courses couldn't care less about what you look like in a mirror. Performance counts. Peak fitness allows quicker recovery between event courses, reduced chances of injury, ability to keep your mind and rationale while exerting energy, able to fire a weapon more accurately and quickly, and make movements more efficient and effectively. The time durations of 4-7 minutes reflect those peak moments during critical incidents seen in the field. Short duration = high intensity. If one is not prepared to work inside that intensity level, performance drops.

Sponsorship: the following vendors, distributors, and manufacturers donated various prizes and gifts to participants and course winners and the overall winner. These folks are asked to donate to so many great causes and events each year. They choose to support this event as one of their few. Thanks again.

Streicher's (Jim Rund)
Smith & Wesson (Mike Fisher)
5.11 Tactical (Tyler Janny)
SureFire (Rob Robinson)
Safariland (Shawn Mayfield)
Chicago Army-Navy Supply (Bob Scott)
Original SWAT Footwear (Erin Cabezut)
Fitness Factory Outlet

Personal Note: First and foremost, I had been looking forward to this event for months. Physically, I prepared for it by wearing my vest in the gym and carrying sandbags and kettlebells. For marksmanship, I did a decent amount of live practice coupled with dry fire. During the competition, my pistol shooting sucked. I only hit 6 out of 18 shots. At least my rifle was shooting straight! On a real up note, my squad did a fantastic job on the O-course. We had that hybrid fitness of size, strength, endurance, stamina, wind, and agility. We had strong teamwork and communication throughout the course. It allowed us to make those critical mental changes, and have the steam to carry out the plans.

Again, great job FIAT Green Squad. We're very proud of you guys!

I can't wait until next year!

RELATIVE vs RAW Strength

2010-08-29T17:00:00.008-05:00

"Strong people are harder to kill,

and generally more useful!"

-- MotorCity CrossFit, Metro-Detroit, Michigan

This is a followup piece on my recent rant about strength. Please take a few moments to read it before continuing.

Let's start off with some basic definitions of the two terms: Raw and Relative.

Raw Strength is naked. It's not confined by any parameters other than the output number itself. Raw Strength is measured by the maximal (or near-maximal) weight lifted. If one lifter can move 400#, and the other lifter can move 450# -- the one who moves 450# is stronger. That is RAW.
Relative Strength uses the added component of the lifter's bodyweight as it relates to a load lifted. So if each of two lifters move 450#, and one lifter weighs 180# and the other is 220# -- the 180# lifter is RELATIVELY stronger. Relative strength is measured as a percentage of the lifter's bodyweight. It's a sort of "efficiency rating." How efficient is the mass of the lifter's flesh and body?

Now the discussion.

TWO HIKERS Assume two men are hiking up a mountain trail. If each of their backpacks full of gear weigh 50#, the mountain elevation cares not how much the hikers weigh. Nature makes no distinction between hikers of 150# or 250#. The pack still weighs 50#. (Now for those of you who are doing the math, you quickly appreciate my choice of such round numbers!) For the 150# hiker, the pack is one-third his bodyweight! For the 250# hiker, the pack is only one-fifth his weight. Is this fair?

Fifty pounds is fifty pounds. Is it safe to say the heavier hiker will probably be burdened less by the pack than the lighter one? Well, maybe. There are lots of factors here that will affect the answer: cardio-respiratory capacities, stamina, etc. But generally speaking, the 250# hiker is probably stronger (in the Raw sense) than his lighter counterpart.

So if you are the featherweight, you'll be complaining that the pack is 33% of your bodyweight. But if you're the heavyweight, then you'll be answering with, "Yeah, but all in all, I have to cart up 300# versus your 200#!" So who is stronger? The debate continues....

COMPETITION CLASSES Weightlifting competitions, both Powerlifting and Olympic lifting, have weight categories. It's much like high school or collegiate wrestling. Competitors only go against those in the same weight class. Let's face it, there is no way a 55-kg lifter could ever compete against a 105-kg lifter. The disparity of the raw numbers is huge. So to be fair to "the little guys," weight classes divide the field of competitors into groups by size.

CROSSFIT TOTAL In the CrossFit world, the measure of a person's overall strength is through the CrossFit Total (CFT). This is the summation of three lifts: Standing shoulder press, back squat, and deadlift. When the three raw numbers are added, the resulting number is the "score." My last "Total" in Nov 2009 was at 1005# (and my 1RM lifts have each gone up since then too!) That is a fairly high score (95th percentile, as out of 2300+ entries on an online journal, the median and mean CFT for men is 748#. Click on link if you are member of beyondthewhiteboard.com). HOWEVER, before I get hurt while I pat myself on the back, I can analyze this number against my bodyweight. Not so good.

One of the things I like about CrossFit is that just when you think you're "there," something else explodes in your face. In this case, it was a discussion of RELATIVE strength and the CFT. I was quickly humbled to see that my 1005#CFT (latest) @ 238# (current) bodyweight wasn't all that impressive. Some of the guys who were in the 900-1100# range were significantly lighter than me. So, my 1005/238=4.22 CFT-to-BW wasn't going to turn heads. Sure I lifted over a half-ton of weight, but at my BW, it wasn't considered to be all that heavy! Click here to see one chart that dissects the CFT-to-BW. There are so-called "little guys" who have CFT-to-BW in the 6.0 to 7.0 range. While those are elitists, they do exist. These guys have not only a lot of Raw Strength, but their Relative strengths are off the charts!

THE NON-ANSWER. So where does all this discussion of Raw and Relative Strength leave us? Raw strength is obviously best. Nature does not account for the bodyweight or size of a person. A 300# fallen tree limb on top of a victim is still 300#. A downed partner or police officer is still 200# regardless of the size of the rescuer. A 50# piece of travel luggage will always be 50#. Strongest is best. No doubt.

But comparing strength to bodyweight does have some merit. For one, I believe in benchmarks or standards. For example, a 1xBW shoulder press, a 1.5xBW back squat, and a 2xBW deadlift are all great standards. Aside from the actual number of raw pounds, the percentage of one's BW is a decent measuring stick. And it humbles us Clydesdales who may not have the efficiency of some of the "little guys." So here are my challenges:

Big dudes: With your size, you are expected to be strong. Start looking more at Relative Strength. Lose a few fatty pounds to increase your efficiency. Hit some new benchmarks or standards with relation to your BW -- and log your BW in your journal when you hit certain personal records. You're strong. Now, how efficient are you?

Little guys: Don't forget Raw Strength. Nature does not distinguish your size from the bigger folks. Get stronger and quit complaining about how much stuff weighs compared to your bodyweight! Don't be satisfied with some big ratios. Your raw numbers might still suck.

Middleweights: You must balance the naked numbers against your efficiency. Your raw scores are higher than the Little Guys, AND your ratios are higher than the Big Dudes! At least I hope so. You have the opportunity to be a true hybrid athlete. Are you seizing the opportunity?

GOALS: There is value in using both measurements (Raw and Relative) with regards to Strength. Set goals for both raw poundage AND as a function or percentage of your bodyweight. For me, my goals are: 1xBW shoulder press, 1.75xBW back squat, 1.25xBW power clean, 1xBW power snatch, 1xBW overhead squat, 2.5xBW deadlift, 5xBW CrossFit Total. How to get there? Lose fatty weight, and oh yeah.....get stronger! I'm inching in on some of them.

EVENT: The Hard Routine 2010

2010-08-25T09:24:00.007-05:00

By request, THE HARD ROUTINE is back in 2010. We ran the same fitness, health, and wellness campaign back in Fall 2009, during the same two months. We'll be back at it this year too!

What is The Hard Routine? In a nutshell: It's a two-month campaign that jump starts positive behaviors in the areas of physical fitness and diet/nutrition. This is an online group that you commit to. There is no set program. YOU set the rules based on YOUR goals and needs. YOU sign a contract with yourself. I send out periodic email updates, some of which include YOUR testimony if you wish to share with the group. (Some of the stories are really inspirational!) Your email address and name remains private (except to me).
Basics: So here is what OUR Hard Routine is all about. Pick some clearly defined behavior and habit changes within both DIET and ACTIVITY categories. Some of the changes will be to add certain foods and activities, and some changes will be to abstain from certain ones. It's completely up to YOU to make those rules and guidelines. I will be here to make some suggestions and help you articulate to YOURSELF what your rules might look like be based on your current lifestyle and body type.
Why a formalized campaign? Because doing this by yourself is a real bitch. Doing this alongside a spouse, coworkers, friends, or family creates a postive support network to make healthier decisions TOGETHER for the two months. "Hey Joe, you want pizza?""No, how about grilled chicken instead." "Yeah, you're right....sounds better." Even if your support group is merely online or through emails, it holds you more accountable than going at it alone. Shared hardships.
Why a specific two-month session? Because goal-oriented training and conditioning must be related to a TIME or an end date. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and it is December 1st! On December 1st, we each can re-evaluate what went good and where we need improvement. We can probably all make difficult decisions regarding food and activity for two months....right? Is this crash diet? Keep reading....
Should I keep a journal? Absolutely!! Keeping tabs on your food and your activity holds one more accountable. It can be as detailed as you are willing to make it...but keep it realistic. If weighing your food on a kitchen scale is your plan, that's a big commitment. Maybe tallying calories is even too much. Also, keep a log of your workouts. It keeps us all honest, and tracks progress too.
Who participates? Well last year we had folks from ALL walks of life. The largest group by far was police officers. But we had grandmothers, housewives, military members, corporate businessmen, and everything in between. Health and wellness knows no bounds.

How did this start? I read an article called The Hard Routine by Jason Dougherty. Some of his points are as follows:

Recognize that there is a benefit to not getting everything you want.
Understand that mental toughness is born of adversity; that it will atrophy if not constantly engaged; and that it carries over to everything you do.
Objectively scrutinize one or a handful of things in your life that you think you need but could actually do without.
Deny yourself those exact things for a specified period of time.

I took his points to heart and suggested to some friends that we try some "hard living" for a few months. It turned into The Hard Routine 2009. We had a group of nearly 120 participants.

THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

What are the physical workouts? You decide. They are whatever you want them to be. For some of you, you are already doing some terrific exercise sessions. For others, you need to get off the couch. I can point you in the right direction. Some of you might start out by walking 30 minutes each day. Others might commit to a more strenuous workout program. I don't recommend joining a gym for this! Let's begin slowly if you are relatively inactive now.
I need workout ideas. We have plenty of ideas based on YOUR goals and needs. Maybe you need strength workouts. Maybe you need cardio workouts. Maybe you need a beginner workout that is easy to follow. Maybe you have access to a gym or health club, or maybe you need to do the workouts at home. I will help you along based on what your physical needs are, as well as what equipment you have access to. Maybe the Prison Workouts (without kettlebell and with kettlebell) are a good start?? For some, walking a certain number of hours or miles each week is a great beginning.
I have no idea where to start regarding workouts. I'll help you. Just ask. Don't let that keep you from participating. No one is too far out of shape to begin. Sitting on the couch is a one way street...getting fatter and more out of shape!
I'm a woman and don't want to get bulky muscles. Many women are under a wrong impression that weight training produces bulky muscles. That is false. Women need weight training moreso than men. It would take a tremendous amount of serious weightlifting and protein supplements to get bulky. Likewise, the words "toned" or "toning" exercises are also false. There are only two ways to get so-called "toned." You must gain muscle, and lose the fat that surrounds those muscles. Weightlifting for women is a virtual MUST.
I have a big butt/tummy/thighs. What should I do? Well, first off, there is a rumor that situps or ab workouts will flatten a flabby tummy. That is called "spot reduction." It's the thought that the ThighMaster gives you thinner thighs. It too is false. To get thinner thighs, you must lose the fat that has settled there. We each have a genetically predetermined place that our fat settles. For me, it's the "spare tire." For many women, it's "grandma arms" or "thunder thighs." If you attempt to target those specific areas, you will find it discouraging...it doesn't work. Never has....never will.

THE FUEL

What is the diet? We each have different eating downfalls. For me, it's ice cream and baked potatoes. Healthy eating choices are critical to making body changes. The diet is what you make it. For me, I'm avoiding alcohol, ice cream, sweets, and chocolate all together. I am limiting starches such as pasta, pizza, and potatoes to only a few meals per week. I will also limit bread and fried food intake. I am also making efforts to add leafy vegetables and nuts every day. But those are MY rules. You need to come up with your own! I'll help you. Last year, one of our participants said "NO" to all fried foods. He was really surprised to see how much of restaurant food is fried, especially appetizers!
This sounds like "crash dieting." Well it is, in a way. Strict dietary rules aren't a way to live your life forever, and certainly not love your life. However, after a couple of months of structured living, maybe keeping a moderate lifestyle will be easier for a bit longer. I'm only asking for two months!

Lastly, there is a Facebook "event" created for the campaign (click here). Invite others to participate and share in your hardship this Fall.

Strength - a rant

2010-08-20T10:40:00.016-05:00

Strength. What is it? It's one of the ten DynaMax physical skills and attributes. The others are: cardio-respiratory endurance, speed, power, flexibility, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy, and stamina. Strength refers to the ability of the body to perform a task. The "scoring" of strength is captured in pounds (#) or kilograms (kg). There is no TIME or DISTANCE component here. Simply put: in a strength contest, the athlete who can lift the most weight wins!

In the functional fitness community, strength is measured through different movements. Some of those are:

Deadlift
Back Squat
Front Squat
OverHead Squat
Standing Overhead Press
Bench Press
Push Press
Weighted Pullup
Turkish GetUp
Thruster
Clean / Power Clean
Snatch / Power Snatch

Notice a trend among these above listed movements. Each of them can be safely executed for maximal loads. My challenge to you is this: Do YOU practice movements at maximal loads? or merely for high numbers of repetitions?

What strength training IS NOT: Strength training is not any sort of weighted resistance training. Just because you are using barbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags, or dumbbells (BB, KB, MB, SB, DB) doesn't necessarily mean you are "strength training." The load being used, as well the number of repetitions, might actually be stamina or cardio-respiratory endurance training!! Beginners might experience SOME increases in strength, but any increases will be marginal and severely limited.

Easy test to see if you are doing strength training: Can you lift the load/weight for that particular movement more than five times in a single set? The further (higher) the number of reps is from ONE, the greater the chance you are NOT causing your body to become stronger. Once an athlete gets past FIVE reps, other aspects of physical fitness are being groomed. NOT strength. I'm not saying that more than five repetitions is bad. I'm saying that the strength component is longer being stressed.

Strength training is NOT body building either. While muscles do get bigger (a nice by-product), it is not the goal. The goal is to add weight to the maximal and near-maximal lifts.

What strength training IS: Strength training uses heavy loads, low repetition numbers, and plenty of recovery time between sets. Some of the notations during strength-building formats might look like:

5x5
5x3
7x1.

What this means is, in the case of 5x3, the athlete does five sets of three repetitions for a movement. Let's say the movement for the day is BACK SQUAT. Now since the athlete in this case study is a squared-away journal-writer, he has maintained a diary of his workouts. He flips back in his journal (or logs onto an online record-keeper like beyondthewhiteboard.com) to check what his previous loads were for "5x3 back squats." He might see that the last time he did 5x3 back squats, he succeeded with 245x3, 255x3, 275x3, 285x3, and got only 295x2 in the last set. For his current workout, the athlete might warmup, then begin his sets with 275x3 (midway in his last performance), gradually increasing load each set. This athlete is optimistic enough to not only strive for 295x3, but even 305x3 or higher!!

The recovery or rest that this athlete takes between sets is considerable. Probably longer than one minute, or two, or three. This is hard for some new CrossFitters to do...as they are sometimes misled into believing CF is all about insanely intense MetCon workouts. The recovery periods of strength training allows the body to work in a certain short-duration metabolic pathway, consistent with lifting maximal or near-maximal loads.

How personal records (PRs) are kept and recorded for strength training: I document my PRs in my journal. The data I keep is the loads for sets of five, three, and one rep(s). They are abbreviated as 5RM, 3RM, and 1RM, for Repetition Maximum. It's natural that an athlete's 1RM is higher than the 3RM, which is higher than the 5RM. I find it important to keep track of this data. Many of my current workouts (through CF Phoenix) ask that the athlete use certain percentages of a near-maximal load. For example, a workout might ask one to use "85% 1RM" for a certain number of reps. With accurately recorded data, that load will be easy to calculate.

I am in the midst of adding a special form to my journal. I am documenting each of the above listed movements in rows, and 1/3/5 RM in columns on a table format. The boxes on the table will be large enough for me to list the load, and the date of the PR. As an example, yesterday's workout produced a PR for 3RM power clean @ 255#. I would scribe in the box at the intersection of the "Power Clean" row and "3RM" column, and log the "255 (08-19-10)" under the "245 (06-17-10)" which was my previous PR from two months ago. This new table format will allow me to better locate my 1/3/5 RMs before strength workouts. It will be much more efficient than flipping through my steno pad for historical performances (Hit me up if you'd like to use my form. I'm making it on Microsoft Word).

When an athlete does specific strength-building workouts, his or her ability to perform work increases. It's a missing piece in many endurance athletes' programs, and sometimes dreaded day for lanky and lean MetCon junkies. Please don't confuse resistance training or weight lifting with Strength training. Increase the weight. Decrease the repetition numbers. Find some 1/3/5 RM data to populate your journal. Then keep hitting new personal records as you get stronger!

Next foreseeable rant: Raw Strength versus Relative Strength. Does your body size and body weight factor into this equation?