October 30 2019

People will often ask me for workouts to do on off days at home and they're surprised and wonder why it's way easier than anything they've ever seen me write on the board.  Sometimes they'll tell me about something they did at another gym in between classes and are surprised when I'm not as fired up as they expected about it.  While I'm definitely happy that they are taking on an active lifestyle and working to stay fit outside of class, sometimes I wonder if they are getting why we only have classes on certain days and why our classes are structured the way they are and also why we have some of the toughest programming/workouts around and in return, best results as far as overall fitness goes in the local area.  The truth is, THIS STUFF IS HARD, I write it hard on purpose and it deserves RECOVERY.  When I'm in the gym I want to train hard and effectively this is also the only way I want to train clients. I'm not a fan of calling anything over-training, I'm not afraid of over-training.  What I would rather refer to and what I'm not ok with is under-recovery.  Of course,  this is all relative to the individual.  Some of us have higher tolerances for stress, more demanding jobs, shorter sleep needs, longer days, whatever.  A lot of things determine our individual tolerances for what we can handle.  Age, history of physical activity and overall consistency in training are all huge factors when we are looking for that perfect balance of work and recovery and this is my job to seek that balance for you.  Yes, we train in a group and basically all of us have the same work to do each class but I try to write the workouts each week so that all of you are getting a broad, all inclusive range of fitness with varied rep schemes, loads and time domains which in return trains multiple energy systems, muscle groups and physical skills. IF YOU COME TO CLASS I believe you will build excellent physical preparedness.  I try to do this so that IF YOU WORK HARD IN THE GYM, its enough.  Once you start using the days in between to add your own workouts or do Joe Blows, "Crush your soul" workout from XYZ fitness down the road you are no longer following the intended program.  I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying to recognize this fact and to choose wisely.  Otherwise, don't blame me when your joints and central nervous system explode from the lack of recovery they get. (This isn't going to happen but most likely you'll just end up dragging ass through every workout you do, in the gym or out and have constant pain) 

So, how do we choose wisely? First we need to remember what this is all supposed to be doing for us.  We should all be looking to have what we do in the gym serve us outside of the gym, meaning we work hard in the gym so that regular life is easy.  It isn't supposed to be that we workout so much that regular life is now impossible because I'm never fully recovered from the last workout.  Also we should be looking for overall fitness, meaning in whatever way life decides I may need to use my body outside of the gym, I'll be able to, whether that's raking the leaves or carrying your kid down a flight of stairs in a fire.  I believe in order to achieve this level of overall fitness we need to train with variance because basically whatever you have not prepared for will be the thing that takes us down when we need to use it in the real world.  The same thing happens if we train the same thing too much, something else lacks and also that thing we keep repeating is probably making something hurt and again leaves us to fail in answering the needs of real life.  So on off days, we should be asking ourselves what have we not done in class and also what is going to allow me to still put forth a solid effort in the next class.  Most of you know the drill by now, in class we're most likely going to work at pretty high intensity for roughly 15-25 minutes and then lift heavy at low intensity focusing on strength, skill and proper form with increasing loads to build strength.  So the days between classes really should be focusing on recovering from that work giving those areas of our body/fitness/energy systems time to recover and adapt to the stress we put on it during class and finding things and staying in heart rate zones that actively may help us move or feel better.  What we shouldn't be looking to do is mimicking the same type of stressors on our off days which will only further stress our bodies and systems never giving it a chance to recover and therefore never giving it a chance to adapt or feel ready for anything life puts in our way.  So, what are those things? What are some safe alternatives to yet another 100 squats in the garage or whatever else you're dreaming up with the fat kid who calls himself a trainer at the gym across town? 

• Stretch. Call it yoga, call it romwod, call it mobilizing, call it whatever you want but if you have the 20 minutes to lift or throw yourself through another conditioning workout, instead of guessing which body parts we’ll be working in class the next day, work on lengthening the ones we used yesterday.  Take the downtime to relax your central nervous system (which is the opposite of a class workout) and allow this stretching to open you up, bring fresh oxygenated blood to areas that might need it after a hard workout and set you up to move better overall.  
   
• 20-30 Minutes Easy Jog/bike/row/swim  - some will call it a recovery run but the key word here is easy -we want to stay in our aerobic zone and move our body with a lower heart rate than that of which we workout in - an easy way to look at this is a pace that we could have a conversation with someone while running and not be out of breath.  This will again bring some fresh blood in, move out some muscle waste or lactic acid and burn some extra calories for the day in a more relaxed zone than that of which class demands. 
   
• Perfect Calisthenics - think short sets with perfect movement in mind - get better at the common movements like pushups, sit-ups, pullups and airsquats not to failure and not to exertion  - move with purpose with the idea of practice and efficiency in mind - keep total reps of each movement between 30 and 50 and sets to 10 and under and make them  perfect - Having the ability to move your body efficiently and independently through space is what will be the deciding factor as to whether or not you end up in a nursing home or not so practice the basics often and you’ll be better for it, do it consistently and see how all your other movements benefit as well - believe me there is nothing worse than seeing seemingly fit people do basic movements poorly, don’t be one of them do them right or not at all.
   
• Practice difficult movements with light loads - movements like cleans, jerks, snatches and overhead squats always have room for improvement.  The way we get better at these movements is with practice, the way to practice is with a controlled heart rate and low stress - work on building muscle memory and use loads under 50% of your max in any of these movements. Drill singles, video yourself, analyze what looks right and wrong, break the movements down with pulls, drops and pauses. This will be easy on your body but also allow you to move and feel like you accomplished something and fix the small things that class doesn’t always have time to focus on.  Leave the PR’s for class and try to get better at moving correctly. 

OR Lastly, just take it easy, go for a walk, play with your kids, learn about something new, maybe even practice a sport or take a lesson in something.  Be OK with the fact that with consistent attendance you have and will have done enough work and if you are eating and sleeping right in between classes you will see the results from it.  Less is more, I promise you.  You can’t rush fitness, you can’t cram it in and you take shortcuts to it, the way to true fitness is with consistency, longevity and balance.  Trust the process, work hard and it will come.  

 Class at 5PM and 6PM Today

Conditioning:

As Many Reps as possible in 3,5, and 7 Minutes of:

60 Box Jumps

40 Wallballs

30 KB Sumo Deadlift High Pull 53/35

20 Power Cleans 115/75

10 Strict Pullups

*Rest 2 Minutes between AMRAPS

Strength:  

On the 2nd Minute for 14 Minutes complete:

1 High Hang Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean = 1 Power Clean  

Start @ Roughly 65% 1RM Power clean

Climb AFA

October 28 2019

Class at 5PM and 6PM  Today 

Conditioning:

As Many Rounds as Possible in 15 Minutes of:

30 Double Unders

16 Dumbell Lunges 50/35

15 Burpees

8 Dumbell Push Press 50/35

 

Strength:

Back Squat 

8-8-8-8

October 25 2019

 Class at 5PM Today

Conditioning:

 5 Rounds for Time of: 

3 Deadlifts 115/75

5 Hang Squat Cleans 115/75

7 Push Jerks

9/7 Cals Bike 

 

Strength:

On The 2nd Minute for 12 Minutes complete:

6 Deadlifts + 3 Power Cleans 

*Start with roughly 60% Max Power Clean and build from there each set AFA

October 23 2019

Class at 5PM and 6PM

Todays workout asks not just how fast can you get the work done but then can you recover quick enough to put forth that same effort.  Much like a sprinter or swimmer might approach some interval repeats on a track or in a pool we should be looking to move efficiently not wasting any energy where it isn't necessary.  We should be making a conscious effort to be breathing calmly as we throw our wallballs, (not holding our breath as we descend in the squat like I often see) staying close to the box as we come down each side in preparation of jumping again (not wasting time stepping far from the box and having to add those extra steps to get to a position to jump again) and keeping each burpee looking the same as the last and not mindlessly flailing to the floor and crawling up to a stand. (Think,drop to bottom of pushup, jump feet to hands, jump up) Focusing on having these kinds of thoughts during the workout instead of sulking in dread about how many rounds you have left or if you are going slower than the person next to you will not only improve your movement but also allow you to use this time to recognize how mindfully approaching small details in the way we are moving, thinking and recovering can equal big results.

Conditioning:

 3 Rounds Each for Time 

30 Wallballs

25 Box Jump Overs

20 Burpees

*Rest 2 Minutes Between Rounds

Strength:

Bench Press

7-7-5-5-5

October 21 2019

 Class at 5PM and 6PM Today

Conditioning:

3 Rounds for Time of:

Run 400M 

20 Hand Release Pushups

15 Strict Pullups 

10 Toes To Bar

Strength:

Front Squat

7-7-5-5-5

October 18 2019

Class at 5PM Today 

Conditioning:

10 Rounds For Time:

8 Ground to Overhead 95/65

10 Bar Facing Burpees  

*15 Minute Time Cap

Strength:

On the Minute for 5 Minutes Complete: 

5 Power Snatches @ 55% Max

Rest 2 Minutes 

On The Minute for 5 Minutes Complete:

5 Clean and Jerks @55% Max

October 16 2019

Class at 5PM and 6PM Today

“Yeah, but I scaled.” --- I’ve heard this phrase so many times from so many people and every time I hear it I cringe at the fact that someone is missing the point and the opportunity to give themselves credit for something they worked hard at to complete.  We scale the workouts for all different reasons; Weight, skill levels, injuries or maybe we’re just not feeling good enough to go all out that day and need to just go through the motions instead of killing ourselves while not at 100%.  Never are we scaling so that we can beat ourselves up about it as soon as we're done and completely destroy any hope of getting anything positive mentally or physically out of the workout at all.   The truth is most of the time I’m choosing loads and time frames that work so that the whole group, at all levels can safely walk away challenged but also satisfied that they got a good workout. What you need to keep in mind is that every workout has a purpose and a stimulus that we are trying to achieve and that the reason we scale is to maintain that purpose, safety and stimulus.  If a workout is built for you to get a lot of work done in a short period of time and the load you use (just so you can do it as it was written) slows you down from a sprint to a walk you have now changed the stimulus, missed its purpose and most likely made yourself feel bad about your performance.  The same thing happens in a workout that is meant to be done with more challenging loads at a slower pace, to cause strength adaptations.  If you decide to go too light and fly through it, causing very little strain and therefore very little catalyst for change, again you missed the point.  Do either of these things enough times and not only will you will become pretty unfit but most likely you'll get also pretty discouraged because you are never allowing yourself to feel like you are getting any better.  This is not me telling you to go ahead and scale every single workout to your "perceived" abilities and then lie to yourself with positive self talk about how awesome you are.  All I'm trying to say is that if you measure your success in the workout with the effort you put in each day and not by some made up number on the board or the score of the person next to you, you will get much more out of not just the workout but your overall experience in the gym. So instead of finishing your workout and driving home thinking about how you are a bad person because you couldn't do the workout the way I wrote it.  Just ask yourself; Did you work hard? Did you move well?  Did you feel challenged? Did you survive? If you did all that, than it was a success.  Those are the things that make you better day in and day out, not under or overshooting things just to keep above some imaginary line you've drawn in your head. That immediate period of time after you complete a tough workout (and they're all tough) you have a choice to either downplay your achievement ("Yea, but I scaled" - "I used to lift more" - "I should have been faster" - etc...) in your own head (or out loud) or to recognize that you did your best with what you had for today (which is most likely more than you had yesterday) and to take note of how that feeling of accomplishment makes you feel so that you will continue to strive for that feeling workout after workout.  Those moments after a workout your body is pumping endorphins at a much greater rate than most likely any other time during the day so I believe the thoughts that you decide to introduce to this dopamine kick matter a lot. If you use this time to recognize all the things that you overcame to even make this workout happen, all the movements you were able to do that the majority of the population couldn’t even imagine doing and how far you’ve come since you started, whether it’s the weight on the bar, a skill you never had  that you do now or just simply finishing under the time-cap you will be setting a positive mindset of growth, accomplishment and confidence in your ability to get things done that I believe is incredibly beneficial in and out of the gym.  The exact opposite thing happens if you are instead using this time to fill your head with negative thoughts about how you aren’t good enough or should've/could've done better and that exact mindset will again carry over in everything else you do and you'll never feel good enough to push a little harder, attempt new things or recognize any improvements. So leave your ego (big or small)  to the side, work with what you have at this very moment, forget about where you think you SHOULD be or where you think you once were and watch how closely the way you think effects the way you feel, act and grow.

Conditioning:

5 Rounds for Time of: 

 

18 Pushups

12 Pullups

9 Deadlifts 155/105

6 Hang Squat Cleans  155/105

Strength: 

5 Climbing Sets of: 

1 Strict Press + 2 Push Press + 3 Jerks

October 14 2019

Class at 5PM and 6PM Today 

Conditioning:

5 Rounds for Time of:

50 Double Unders

20 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls 53/35

20 Situps

20/15 Calories Bike

Strength:

Back Squat

7-7-7-7-7

October 11 2019

Class at 5PM Today 

Conditioning:

10 Rounds for Time of: 

5 Strict Pullups

10 Front Rack Lunges 95/65

15 Box Jumps

 

Strength:

 

Deadlift 

 7-7-5-5-5

 

 

October 9 2019

It's always funny to me when people in class just assume I never eat anything that is considered “unhealthy.” or when they're surprised to see me eating something, "off the list" like it's my first time.  Yes, the majority of my meals are built with my health and performance in mind (and so should yours be) but that does not mean that I don’t eat a cookie (or 5) here and there or have a bowl of ice cream every now and then.  I just know and keep in mind that it is the consistency of my eating and exercise habits that allow me to do that without it becoming a big deal.  I know and remember that this is a treat that does not benefit my health and performance and that because those things are a priority for me, I will be right back on my regular schedule come the next meal.  I don’t throw out all the healthy choices I planned to make for that day, week, month or lifetime because I gave in to a break in my “Diet” I just simply enjoy the cupcake and move on knowing that the other 95% of my life/eating is well planned and outweighs this small thing.  Now, when I say, “Diet” I am referring to my overall consistent intake of foods.  A big problem is that what most people refer to as a “Diet”  they consider a temporary thing, like a time of sacrifice or a Lenten period, it shouldn’t be seen that way. You should be thinking of your diet as simply what you eat regularly not which temporary fad you are subscribing to this season.   The only “Diet” people should be trying to learn about and subscribing to is finding out what works for them that gives them the energy and nutrition they need to match the demand they put on their body while feeling good and maintaining a healthy body weight, not gaining, not losing, but maintaining.  Obviously if you are starting out over or under-weight you need to restrict or add to your calories to get to your goal but doing so should be done by controlling the quantity of the very same foods that are regularly and are going to always be available to you that you plan to eat for the rest of your life and then when that goal is reached you maintain your weight by adjusting the amounts of those same foods you take in because yes, all fad diets work, a consistent restriction of calories whether they come from carbohydrates, fats, a set time of day or just simple controlled portions will give you weight loss but nothing matters unless it is sustainable as a lifestyle and not just a temporary thing because as soon as you reach your goal and switch back to eating how you always have (your regular diet) you will also return to the weight that you were without learning anything about how to eat for the long term healthily.  This happens all the time, a client sets a goal, gets motivated and inspired as they see results and they continue to make good decisions over a period of time that bring them to reach their goal, they are proud of themselves for a little bit but then they relax completely and after all the excitement wears off they end up right back where they started.  There are a lot of times as a trainer you feel like you’ve failed with someone but this is pretty close to the worst kind of failure you feel because you know through all of it, they haven't learned anything about eating right.  This is why I hate it when I hear about people telling me they are following some new “diet” they heard about or paid for instead of taking the time to learn what they should be eating and why they’re eating it.  This idea of latching on to new ways of eating for a period of time is exactly why people also have this false idea that people who are maintaining their goal weight are living in complete seclusion and deprivation from the real world and allow for zero deviation, this is just absolutely not true and 100% why this type of thinking stays around and weight loss remains such a big business/scam.  So what should we be asking ourselves when choosing and learning about the foods (once living things) we need to regularly include in our life-long “diet” to feel,age and perform our best. 

• Do we want to stay strong?  -   If yes, do so with protein. Where do you get protein? -   Dead animals...Eat them...
• Do we want to have energy to stay awake, think clearly and use our muscles?  - If yes, do so with carbohydrates.  Where do you get carbohydrates?  Fruits,and vegetables (and depending on your activity level, some starches and/or whole grains.)
• Do we want healthy joints, hair and skin?  - If yes, do so with fats.  Where do we get fats?  Often in those same dead animals we ate to stay strong and the natural oils we cook them in and also in small amounts of nuts and seeds.  
• Do you want to be able to digest all this food? - If yes, do so with leafy greens and other fibrous vegetables.  

Fill your plates like this, splitting it into meals that accumulate and equal the appropriate amount of daily calories (goal weight X 10-12/day) do it everyday and only adjust based on the scale, how you feel or by using a mirror and you won’t crave, need or have room in your "diet"  for the junk that does nothing good for you.  Will there be birthday parties, holidays or "Just for the hell of it" times that you eat something for pleasure, of course there will be but I promise you, if you are honestly eating this way with consistency it will not matter and instead of feeling down on yourself for deviating or riding a constant roller coaster of weight loss and gain you can be proud that you can eat it and enjoy it because you know it is now such a small percentage of your intake and it is outweighed and handled by and because of all the positive choices you make regularly. 


Class at 5PM and 6PM Today 

Conditioning:

On The 2nd minute for 18 Minutes Complete:

At 0:00: Run 400M

At 2:00: 25 Double Unders + 15 Wallballs + 25 Pushups

At 4:00: Run 400M

At 6:00: 10 Burpees + 15 KB Swings + 30 Situps

*Repeat cycle 3 Times

Strength: 

Strict Press

7-7-7-5-5 

October 7 2019

Class at 5PM and 6PM Today 

Conditioning:

As a Team of 2 complete as Many rounds as possible in 18 Minutes of:

15/12 Calories Bike

3 Deadlifts

5 Hang Power Cleans

7 Front Squats

*115/75

While one partner rides for calories the other partner completes as many rounds as possible on the barbell.  When 15/12 calories are complete, swap and pick up the barbell where last partner left off. 

 

Strength:

Bench Press

5-5-5-3-3

October 4 2019

 Class at 5PM Today

Conditioning:

On the 4th Minute for 5 Rounds Complete:

12 Thrusters 95/65

 12 Back Rack Reverse Lunges 95/65

12 Bar Facing Burpees

Strength:

Deadlift 

5-3-5-3-5-3

October 2 2019

Welcome the stress, that’s what demands growth, it’s simple science really, stress a muscle, rest a muscle do it consistently and what happens? It grows back stronger, every time. So welcome the stress, too often I see people in the gym trying to hold back or control the stress during our workouts, holding back when they think their heart rate is too high, planning breaks during big sets of reps, jogging when they should be running, accepting some thought that they are working, “Hard Enough” Instead of telling themselves they could go a little harder and guess what happens…..Nothing… They won’t see results because they won’t allow themselves to feel real stress and get any more uncomfortable than they already are. Sure some people might say it’s just a workout, it doesn’t really matter that much, but is it really? I am a true believer that however you approach anything in life is how you will approach everything. This “Stress” that we are confronting in these workouts are not only taxing and building our cardio respiratory endurance, strength, speed, stamina, power, coordination, agility, flexibility, balance and accuracy but also and maybe more importantly than all of that, it’s testing and building our character, our ability to handle stress and displaying how we react to it. Do you push through and face things that come up in life unexpectedly or do you just give up and submit to "Trying hard enough"? This might all seem much deeper than you want to go when it comes to working out but it’s all related. Stress is what decides everything for us, you quit the diet because it’s hard to say no to things that bring comfort and pleasure or the people you're surrounded by. You won’t attempt the lift because you’re afraid of embarrassment or getting hurt and you won’t push yourself to max effort because you’re afraid of being uncomfortable.  Discomfort is where everything changes, I know everybody can think of some stress or discomfort that came into their life when they “Thought” they weren’t ready for it but you’re all still alive so I know that perseverance got you through it. When you overcame whatever it is that you overcame, loss of family, loss of job, addiction, eating disorders, injury, or even more serious experiences, whatever it was, you faced it, got through it, overcame, you didn’t just lay down and give up with some idea that, “Oh well I tried hard enough” and now when you look back, you know it forced you to become a stronger version of yourself. All that perseverance through stress made you grow in all those other areas of life so why wont you exercise it when you’re in the gym trying to make yourself better, how are you going to let a 1 hour workout be the thing that forces you to give up and to not grow. Stress makes you grow, stop avoiding it and welcome it and all the results and growth that come from it.   Todays workout leaves you with no interference or excuse to slow up, calculate rep schemes or worry about strategy, it's all about just going for it, getting more uncomfortable with simple movements that you've done a million times and reaping the benefits of it, all of them.  

 Class at 5PM and 6PM Today

Conditioning:

As Many Rounds as possible in 20 Minutes of: 

 

30 Double Unders

20 Situps

15 Pushups

10 KB Swings

5 Muscle Ups (or most difficult pulling progression)

Strength:

Front Squat 

8-8-8-8