Lumberjack workout today...but far from the real thing.

2/13/12

“Lumberjack 20”

Did the “lumberjack 20”  WOD this morning.  Hell of a wake up call.

Warmup: Indian Clubs, Stretch bands, Foam roller. 

20 GHD

20 reps Reg BB deadlift(200#).  Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps KB swings 24kg     Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 Reps Sand bag OH squat. Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps burpees                         Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps pull-ups (No kip)    Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps box jumps (16”)      Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps Squat cleans (35# DB) Then 500 meters rowing on C2

Lumberjack WOD is a very intense and endurance level routine I found at the sites  from the Army engineers and Lumberjack Crossfit . I like it because it uses the whole body and no one body part gets jacked up, as not to recover the next day. It still a bitch regardless of my scaling of some of the benchmark levels, but it’s a great hour including the warm-up and joint mobility. Of all the exercises, it the burpees and DB squat cleans that gas you out each time. Normally you run on this WOD but my doctor advises me not to run too much if I want a few more good years out of my knees. Rowing is a great substitute as it does not impact the joints like running does, even with good technique.  This is not a beginners session but the combination of exercises coupled with the rowing can be split up or taken in sections as you don’t want to brake it off…..as you many want to use it again.

a chalk emergency at Fair Oaks

2/7/12

Fair Oaks training

            Yesterday I was over to the “Fair Oaks” gym which has been in existence for over 20 years, and brought over some chalk (that is an emergency if you run out of chalk!). It’s not a pretty gym(or a box for you crossfitters), “nor it’s not a West Side” but it has all the toys for the boys play heavy. Anyway, the lads were training with the dead lift doing sets of low reps and volume speed training . So one of young guys asked me if he needed something else besides the deadlift to get stronger back to lift more. He just thought that his periodzation training program he was given was not enough. He had only been power training a year, so I it going to take time and endurance to keep up the effort for a few more years to see you goal.

            More is not always better when you want to get stronger: it’s about the technique, the body recovery and how much effort you put into each lift you do week after week are the keys to the kingdom. When you can pull 400lbs for reps, then it’s time to look at a few auxiliary exercises and specialized equipment. However, before that, you should spend quality time in getting the basic lifts efficient and not too much time on attempting to learn 50 other exercises. Besides you may not have the work capacity-recovery down yet and all you will be doing, is smashing you body into staleness.

            One of my ex training partners, trains in his cellar, with a small power rack, lifting platform, lots of 100lbs plates and a few dumbbells. He is a masters champion powers lifter who squats over 600lbs in his 50’s. He only uses the primary squats, dead lifts and bench and maybe throws in some dumbbell work to balance, but only trains the lifts when getting ready for a contest. He built like a human fire plug.

The moral of the story, if you goal is to acquire a strong body, you don’t need a lot of extra work exercises, or the latest machine, as its all about you, the passion to get there and satiability of training.  Sometime the more things you do the less time you have to be successful. Therefore do what maximizes you goals and leave the extras for someone else.

“the mission is sacred”

My training today is the following.

Warm-up: bands for shoulders, hip flexors, Indian clubs, rowing 1000 meters and joint mobility.

3rounds of the following:

10 reps KB side deadlift 36kgs

10 reps “landmine” pressing

10reps KB swings.

10 reps sand bag squat

Finish with 10 min. on heavy bag.

No new years resolutions on joining a gym.

Jan.6, 2012

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions any more. There is a good reason for this as I never keep them ,like 90% of all others who do each New Years beginning. Sounds good to make proposed positive changes in your life, at the beginning of each year like a race starting line. However, it is relics of the past for me.  Change, especially in behaviors are never easy and only successfully done in small continuous changes.  I keep  a monthly “to-do –lists”, as being of advance age, time is moving every increasingly to warp speed. The Japanese call small continuous changes” Kaizan”, it’s all about accomplishments that are not overly optimistic and not based on gross changes.  I may not have enough time to finish big projects so Kaizan works for me.  Above all no fucking gezeer “bucket list”, just because I am old enough to remember using a slide rule in school.

            So in January, everyone except me, starts the year off with some New Years’s Resolutions taking for example  joining a gym or making more money. However, experience tells me after some changes in scheduling sometime in February, the elation of a new year’s wears off. Fast forward to November of that year, and there is no resemblance of a plan initially proposed on your resolution list.  If I get at least some progress of change on one item, I am a winner for that year.  Myself I never had to make that New Year’s resolution to join a gym; WTF, I own a gym!

This year’s  accomplishments for self improvement are mostly minor issues to be carried out in good Kaizan form .

1. Continue to Work on joint mobility more prior to training in shoulders and hips,  so I don’t get as stiff as a bride grooms dick!

2. I have a shit load of Kettlebell and dumbbells, so use them more in all the Crossfit WOD’s each day.  Yes, that includes to 130# dumbbells and 46kg Kettlebells to keep the dust collecting on them.

3. Keep the daily WODs short but heavy. Once again it an attentions span thing.  

4.Go back to daily rides on one of my three bikes, but not during rush hour so I don’t become a hood fixture.  I almost forgot my 4^th Bike, my “Street Bob HD”!

That’s just a small example of my “daily to-do-list. However, go a head making your New years resolutions!  it’s a positive thought and that all good!

RUFF.

Back from the Kettlebell dead.

9/1/2011

This morning training at “fair Oaks” ( if you have to ask you will never understand)

Warm-up on pulley and bands, Indian Clubs

“board Bench press” 5 sets of 5 reps

Pull-ups 6 sets of 5 reps

One mile run in park.

Second session:

Trap bar dead lifts

16kg Kettlebell press.

10 min on heavy bag.

Back from vacation and summer fun. It was a great summer and did not push myself off a cliff so I spend the rest of the year healing up. I will attempt to continue the blog as I did last year with some information on training you don’t get at home.

Play a "deck of cards" for fitness

Feb14.

The “deck of cards” is an advanced WOD, which incorporates all of the exercise protocols needed in a great session; PHA, ballistic, endurance, strength, random, complex exercise. You take a simple deck of cards a pick one at a time, assign the exercise based on the card face, perform and take the remaining 51 cards. You can assign extra level of difficulty for jokers, face cards or aces. It’s going to be a long session, but it goes fast due to the random nature of the various card values so it’s hard-soft stress.

Example routine:

warmup: joint mobility for until loose. then you are ready if you start the deck with the "joker" 1000 meter rowing or running.


Hearts: Suit case Dead lift, heavy KB 40kg with shrug.


Diamonds: reverse hand pushups on Kettlebells (upper body, complex, balance )


Hearts: Pull-ups without kipping: (upper body strength)


Clubs: Kettebell thrusters (legs, upper body and ballistic movement one or Two.


Aces: GHD situp.


Face cards: 10 reps Kettlebell snatches. 5 R/L


Jokers: 1000 meters rowing.


Depending on the setup, transition, and the exercise difficulty, it can take from 35 to over and hour to go throw the entire deck. It’s always a great session even if you are training by yourself….it’s as though some is organizing your training in person.

Go to the most advanced level and use a XVest of 20-30 lbs. as you do the Deck of cards routine.

Big box gyms are loosing ground to low frills, low price models.

Feb 2nd session:

TacFit joint mobility routine for 30 min. stretch bands, and form roller.

Suspension squats, dips, body wt exercise, ab wheel, GHD and Indian clubs.
Rack Dead lifts: sets of 3-5
Tacfit Kettlebell Recruit routine for 4 sets each. (balance on roman Dead lifts suck bad)
2000 meter if rowing

The New York Times newspaper came out with an article last month on the demise of the “Big box full service gym” and health clubs who are struggling to survive. They are being over taken by low price “Planet fitness” style business model with no frails workout. Now that never concerned me as I have known this long ago that only 15% of the US population has a gym membership and much less use that membership routinely or train like I do. I have a Small box, Crossfit style gym.


Motivation is almost zilch in most gyms today and the turnover each year is about 45%(industry values) that has to be recruited at a high cost to keep the business solvent. Also impacting big box fitness industry is a recession but that is more of an excuse and not always a barrier to success. Some Harvard geek, came up with a reverse business model; you pay only when you don’t go to the gym. Loss of income becomes the motivation and not fitness.


It does not take a degree from Wharton business school( I studied there for a time) to see that as a business model, if you are a midget in the market, you don’t go head to head with Cyclops. If you are offering a overpriced service in an attempt to maintain your customer base and please everyone so they stick around, you have invested poorly. Problem is the average American that goes to a fitness facility really doesn’t appreciate the juice bars, plasma TVs sound systems and Zumba classes with all the fancy trappings of a full service gym. All the fitness customer wants is some simple machines, small assortment of free weights, a shower, easy to get to, so they can work out to their interest level independently. Also for the most part the average gym customer doesn’t want to be rubbing elbows with “roid boy” so there is no need for hardcore power lifting area for a handful of “muscle heads” or “Billy Biceps” types.


The owners of Planet fitness and other low price, no frills gyms understands the public very well and offered a basic facility with machines, weights and clean rest rooms at 10-20 dollars a month. End result is high volume memberships with ever increasing new gyms all over the country. In my area there is 5 in a 30 mile radius and two other clone style low price gyms like Planet’s model. All are doing well business wise even in a recession while the full service gyms are just making it and hoping Planet fitness never existed.


Most big box full service gyms offer personal training services from either contractors or staff trainers. This is either a no cost or profit center for the gym management, but it is slowly losing its ground especially in a recession due to the high cost and low value. The Planet fitness management has discontinued the service this year on all of their gyms as it is unlightly that if you are paying 15 dollars a month for the gym membership, you will not fork over 50-75 dollars an hour for personal training…dah!


So what keeps people in any gym coming back and staying with the program? Its community, stupid! If all your friends go there, then you will go there. If you as a independent customer of a gym and you walk in to train by yourself (some like it that way but they are the exception) there is a high probably that you will not visit the gym consistently for lack of support from friends and people who share your training. My experience is that men and women that come in groups or with associates train much more consistently then those who come in by themselves. Lastly, those members who have a mission or valid, self defined reason for training will be a continuous members regardless of gym type.


Your fitness options are many; success is having friends or partners to share your pain, a comprehensive life’s plan, and wiliness to seek out the correct training, advice to make your adventure in health successful.

Oh no, another "300" type workout!

Jan: 30th.

Tacfit warm-up, bands, pullys, squats, pull-ups.


Spartacus workout review:


One min with 15sec rests for each exercise done three rounds. Yes, its a long one so suck it up!


Romanian deadlft in rack for some much need back work. (not part of the routine)


Goblet squat, Mt. climbers, swing, T-pushups, split jump, row, side lunge, pushup-row,Lunge rotation, press. All done with various dumbbells, in 46 min.total time.


10 min. of Battling ropes.


Worked up a good sweat on this WOD as its one of the longer ones. Not a strength session but as metcom it works.

Spartan or Spartacus workouts, let the games begin .


Every since the success of the 300 workout, based on the movie of the same name, there is a new workout promoted to get you into ripped shape in moment of time. The concept is your basic circuit routine that is used in any number of fitness groups like boot camps or training concepts. This all came about when a number of actors had to remove their shirts to expose there scrawny bodies, so they hand to go to a fitness trainer to whip them into shape.


So if you wanted a part in the new Spartacus series, you would have to upgrade your body to look like a gladiator instead of a stockbroker on crack. So most of the actors who had to expose themselves, went to and celebrity personal training (training celebrities make you more talented without extra training or knowledge) who put them though an accelerated fitness series that used all the time for fast results. Since the rich and famous use the routine then everyone is obligated to make a business out of a circuit program that is not sustainable in the long term, but it all sounds impressive as hell.


I used the routine as I do with a lot of the routines on Crossfit and Kettlebell sites I find interesting. Spartacus workout as described in Men’s Health Magazine, is a 10 exercise circuit, using one or two dumbells depending on the exercise performed 3 times. When I did it I used a number of different sized dumbells depending on the exercise to add the necessary stress. Also the Gymboss timer was set of 1 minute work and 15 seconds rest. The rest was so you can set up for the next one of 10 exercises. It’s a very good WOD if you use the various weights and has some good compound exercises, but like I said before, you get too accustomed to this routine or anyone like this if you repeat this more than one a week and most likely over train. Lastly it’s a little long as I got bored on the third round and could be cut down to one or two sets and add some other type of routine elements like boxing or rowing, if you need the extra movement of reduce weight.