grey is a color

What happens when you have a life experience that changes your perspective on things? Insignificant or not, what happens to your eyeballs, your senses, your ability to process and cope with everyday situations. Some are hard some are not, but all of it comes down to how we take in situations and how we react to them. Life goes on without us, life will go on without us. The world spins, and the world grows; depending on how we look at it, within or without us…within or without us…I find myself fighting the world as if it were black and white, too inclined to believe the right thing is an instant answer. On they flip side I also discover that when I can't quite come to a conclusion that the answer must be grey matter, which goes against the previous sentence…why? How can we black and white and grey at the same time? There are many things that are black and white, there are also things that are too grey, too lost in translation that all we can do is accept change. Some feel repressed, some feel alienated, some feel that they have a God-given right to do whatever they please, and others just assume that is the way the world works…for them. 

But what do we do when our eyes, hearts, and unemotional brains that think in black and white have changed forever? Is there an acceptance or a refusal? Is one right or wrong or is one just better…better to who? Dictating policy has its benefits but who are we to dictate? 

If you feel like you are a dying breed, or a select few…chances are you might be. Not because you are better or worse, just because you are different. Do you accept the change or stand for what is right….black, white or grey?

Sunday Night Football

As I watch Sunday Night Football I am intrigued. I love football for the athletic prowess, intensity, shit-talking, commentating, but I love the game because of the chess match. People do not understand the preparation, the amount of hours spent in the film room dissecting the opponents plays in certain situations. The down, the score, how many yards for a 1st down, who is on the field and who is not. Is the strength of their line on the weak or strong side, what is their tendency with all of this? It truly is a guessing game/chess match and with the hope that your athletes will out think/play theirs. All of these coaches are professionals, yet there are few that are considered great. The ones that I feel that are considered great do not have any more knowledge than those who are not 'great', but what sets them apart is their ability to connect and get through to their players. They want this or that down, but if this or that does not resonate with the player than really what good does it do?

Coaching people in the gym is not nearly the job that this is, however on a smaller scale share some similarities.

I use to be an awful 'coach'. I still am trying to work on my weaknesses but one thing I have vastly improved upon is my ability to connect with different types of people. The reason for this is the various places I have been and various people I have come in contact with. "Why don't they understand me?" I would ask myself. I am saying the exact words from the CF Journal. I am saying exactly what the head coach is saying, but it still does not get through. It was a combination of what I said, the way I said it and the timing of when it was said; all incredibly important. As a coach, a good one, I need to be able to read the client/athlete and learn a bit of their language so I can better help them understand. If they play basketball can I equate bringing hips through and elevating/getting full-extenstion to them on a Snatch? Can I stress the importance of hamstring/glute recruitment on a KB swing VS just bending over and throwing the KB up, and WHY it's important? Not everyone reacts the same, not everyone learns at the same speed but everyone can learn. Maybe Susie Q will never snatch from the floor but she sure can pull from above the knee to overhead and look like she knows what she is doing.

I relate this a bit to watching football. They can come up with the best schemes but if they do not make their players understand it, then what good does it do? Unfortunately there are a lot of 'coaches'…trainers…in my line of work that think because they have a certificate and hold a position of 'class trainer' that it automatically gives them authority on the subject.

This approach does not appeal to everyone, but the people that truly want coaching and have a desire to develop a coach/athlete relationship understand the process.

With that being said, I'll get back to my football, IPA and quiet.

1st week of an Endurance Phase

Hey party people!

Have you ever seen Homeland? I am somewhat addicted to the show. I do not know why but I know I have a problem when I pass on my normal morning ESPN for this show...

Anyway.

Monday

1. smr+mobility
2. 40' steady state
3. (did a workout w/ other trainers, went about 75% effort; their idea)
 5 rounds for time: 3 rope climb, 6 snatch @ 135, 9 front squat @ 135

Tuesday

1. smr+mobility
2. 10' row
3. 15x 30/90's. Starting at 150m per/30'', build every 30'' interval, 1 more meter than the last. 90'' active rest period (less hard). Started at 150m, ended up at 172m
4. 10' row
5. 4x AMAP strict HSPU+kipping HSPU+ring dip, 2' rest between
6. 3x 60/90s, seated DB press @ 40#.


Wednesday

1. smr+mobility
2. 3 RNFT: 400m run, 10 kb swing (focus on hamstring glut recruitment), 8-4-2(pull up/c2b/bar mu), 10 band pull apart
3. front squat 8@40%, 3@65%, 5@75%, 3@85%, 2x1@95%, 3@85%, 5@75%
5. EMOM for 10': 5 DL@315 + 1 rope climb
6. 3' rest
7. EMOM for 10': 40m farmer carry @ 88#, 5 burpee box jump

Tomorrow will be an active recovery day.

Hope all is well with you.

3 weeks in.

I have been in LA for 3 weeks now and am excited to see where it goes. New things always come with a bit of stress and uncertainty but I am fortunate to have some good souls in my life.

Relationships are a huge glimpse into ones life. Who you surround yourself with is a huge indicator to what type of a person you are. It's all too easy to fake what type of being you are to the sheep public but to those of 'us' who understand that demeanor, it is a facade; the true indicator to whom one is, the people that they surround themselves with. Again I am fortunate for the growth I hope to have here in LA.

Training is non-exisent. My sleep has been spotty again, and have accepted that there needs to be an extra-cirricular activity. Sleepy shitty, work in gym, workout in gym, work in gym, go home and program/email/think/write for gym. An activity outside of the gym needs to happen. I am looking for some advice on what this might be. I came up with 3 things:

1) rock climbing
2) join a beer club who likes to nerd out on IPA's like me
3) play rugby again

Playing rugby again would be dangerous for two things. It is somewhat of a beer club, typically shitty beer, but beer nonetheless, but also because your face gets smashed everyday Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday. I am excited to get back on the pitch and love the community that it brings. I only hope to look as pretty after as I do now : )

Since I am still feeling some low energy and effects of stress. I am limiting my lifting and power-endurance stuff and focusing on some LSD stuff, recovery movement/gymnastics. I also am taking the time to work on some weaknesses (hamstring/glut recruitment, gymnastics, and aerobic capacity)

Hope you are all well.

The only muscle worth training sits inside your skull.

PS.

I am sad to see Jim Leyland go.

half way through week 1, recovery day tomorrow!

Guys/Gals,

It is Wednesday and I am pumped for the week to be almost done. I have one more thing to do tonight, watching an apprentice (who I think just got done with the apprenticeship) teach an intro class. The major movement being taught is the Snatch....here we go! I am for sure fried; no tv or internet has made for some interesting down time (don't really have any anyways). If anyone out there is 100% efficient in installing an air conditioner which the exhaust goes through the window I would appreciate some help (I think I figured it out but do not think it's right)

Monday was an interesting start to the week. An extremely cluttered house does not sit will with me, and after going to bed at 145am, not sleeping well cause Alaide kicks!!! :), trying to get the week started with what we need and what we need to do, some construction on the house and accomplishing nothing, going to work, meeting people and kissing the babies, paperwork, closing the gym up only to come home to being locked out! Some miscommunication on our part led to the key being inside...when no one was home! Sleep schedule off, eating schedule off however I did eat 2 meals on Tuesday instead of 1 on Monday, currently I am eating my 2nd and will eat a 3rd when I get home around 9...so getting back into it.

Yesterday in the AM I completed a 60' steady state effort at about 60%MHR
in PM I completed a EMOM for 12', odd minutes were 5 muscle up, even were 10 walking OH lunge w/ 115.

Today

1. cardio + mobility
2. 3x3 tgu/SLRDL
3. take 12-14' to get a couple sets at 75-80%, 5power snatch + 1 snatch balance
4. IWT:

a)
 800m run
 8 TnG Snatch @ 75-80% from above
 3' rest, x3

b)
 2' of burpee box jump (shoot for 25)
 7 TnG DL @ 65-70%
 3' rest, x3

c)
 8 deficit HSPU on pipes
 8 strict pull ups
 x4, not for time

CHEERS!

Moving day+Monday

We moved all day yesterday (Sunday)! My friend Kenny saved us. He works for a company that has a truck and not only did he let us borrow the truck, he drove and helped move us to LA; huge props to him.

With moving, getting going at the gym, yesterday I squeezed in a lifting session.

1. cardio + mobility
2. 3 RNFT: 4-6 Bar muscle up, 10 back ext, 3ea single leg step up
3. Front Squat 8@50%, 5@65%, 3@75%, 4@85%, 3@90%, 2@95%
4. 6 reps of ea: Sn RDL, Hng Mscle Snatch, Sn Press, OHS, 2 sets (1 w/ BB 1 w/ 95#)
5. HngPwrSn + 2 HngSn (3'' pause @ bottom for both), 6-7 sets
6. 2 power clean + 2 power jerk + 1 split jerk, 6-7 sets
7. This was optional but Nick and I were playing with this for a class. He used to do a shuttle run at his sports performance gym. We have a field turf mat outside and is about 70ft. We did 6 up and backs, not long, took me 58''.

Today I plan on doing an hour of steady state work. I feel pretty smoked today even though I just lifted yesterday, felt stronger. Hit 235 on the double Hng Snatch which I was pumped about along with my double @ 95% front squat, all this on a day of calories that consisted of 1 cliff bar, 2 protein shakes (30g protein), a greens energy bar! This was not ok, but with moving and all that comes with it, that took over. My goal is to do better today : )

LAst week or so

Hey all,

With all that has been going on (gym change, moving to LA and in with the girlfriend) my fitness has definitely taken a back seat. Doesn't that suck when life gets in the way of things we 'want' to do!? :) We have been looking for real state like crazy, in contact with our new employer and trying to solidify things up on the back end. To say the least it has been incredibly stressful. All yesterday afternoon/evening my Mother (thanks Mom) came over and helped me pack everything up. Only thing that is not in box or a crate is my bed, dresser, and book case (without books, I have a lot). My kitchen and garage are like a staging area ready for loading tomorrow morning so the move should be pretty smooth. Getting the couch in was a bit of luck so getting out should be interesting.

Moving, starting a new job, and starting to live with a significant other which I never have, has put my mind on many other things. I am excited to start up in LA, nervous a bit, but am excited to start a new chapter.

The last few weeks of fitness has had one goal. Attempt to maintain, not overtrain (under recover) and keep my sanity.

I am putting together a 4 week (6 if you consider transition) endurance phase geared towards improving aerobic capacity, building mitochondria, and have a bit more recovery than usual. Without getting too into it, but having an ample supply of mitochondria will benefit energy production and fat metabolism (which is why we workout right?) The more we have, the more efficient these things are, the more fatty acids can be utilized for energy which burns fat at a better rate. Strength training, HIIT training, and steady state cardio all help develop more, however HIIT without 24-48 hours to recovery do not let these organisms regenerate (to speak your language, if you do a crossfit metcon EVERYDAY this will deplete over time). So the last few weeks I have been doing a strength session or power endurance session 3x/week plus 3 steady state sessions/week, 1 day completely off. Too many people in crossfit get caught up in the sexy metcon but once you hit that 'plateau' one must figure out how to improve and get past it. In my case my strength is decent, my steady state cardio and ability to recover is pretty low. This comes a perfect time for me to do this because HIIT (crossfit metcon) is incredibly stressful on your nervous system, where as steady state cardio at 55-65%MHR, not so much.

A sample of this, yesterday:
1. cardio + mobility
2. triple under practice
3. 30/30's where rest period player must complete 5 strict pull ups (4 exercises were given, a total of 5 rounds at each station)
 a) double under
 b) DB snatch @ 70#
 c) sprint on treadmill @ 8%incline @ 8.5 speed
 d) StOH @ 135#
player completes as many double unders as possible in 30'' then during 30'' rest period player must complete 5 strict pull ups, same for snatch, then sprint, then StOH...cycling through for 20'

Then today I did 45' of steady state cardio at a pretty easy pace (I ran)


I will be starting this new cycle in a few weeks once I get settled in LA. I encourage all of you who have my same weaknesses/strengths to do this. It is the perfect time (for the open next year)


For an interesting read on some truths behind Crossfit, read the following link:

http://joshsgarage.typepad.com/Crossfit_White_Papers_--_Timeline.html