Alumni hockey game
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
122911
Open hockey after a couple drinks.
Overall, played well against a good group. Focus on shoulders up, independent legs and push to shot side.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
102911
Deadlift 320 3-3
Bench 210 5-5-5 drop set 185 x5
3 rounds
10 pullups
15 pushups
15 back extension
Monday, October 17, 2011
Paleo Summary
http://robbwolf.com/faq/
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Agent Orange
Deep orange yolks from pasture raised eggs are how they're supposed to look. Signifies high nutrient content (Vit A, E, K).
Friday, October 14, 2011
That's a lot of food, bro
Inspired by an exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston I got to thinking how it would look to see 1-days worth of food laid out in front of me. I'll try to recreate portions, post a picture and measure the macro-nutrient stats.
Here's a look at what other folks are eating:
http://www.whatieat.org/home/home.php
http://www.menzelphoto.com/galleries/ (click on FOOD)
Here's a pick from Peter Menzel Photography (a North Carolina family's week's worth of food...kinda sad.)
Here's a look at what other folks are eating:
http://www.whatieat.org/home/home.php
http://www.menzelphoto.com/galleries/ (click on FOOD)
Here's a pick from Peter Menzel Photography (a North Carolina family's week's worth of food...kinda sad.)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Starting your workout and STAYING on it
I feel like my longest material comes from answering short questions sent to me by email. Once the information starts flowing I can't get it to stop (I have the same problem with work and need to find a way to be more concise).
Either way, I want to share the latest email chain I shared with a co-worker that may be helpful to get started with a workout program, and more importantly, to STAY on a workout program. Here's the chain...
-----------
EMAIL FROM BUDDY:
Yo dude,
Question – a buddy of mine who’s probably 30 pounds overweight (190, but no muscle) has asked I help him out at the gym. He wants to lose weight, and build muscle.
I don’t think I can just throw him into Wendler or 300, but figure I can certainly help get him on the right track to fitness. He really has no clue what to do when he goes to the gym.
What would you suggest? Starting out he plans on going to the gym with me about once a week. I was thinking the first session could be fitness assessment to see what I’m working with.
Pull ups, sit ups, pushups, squats (no weight), dips, and then a short run.
Thoughts on how to approach this?
I don’t want to kill him the first time, but a good body shock could help him realize how out of shape he is.
-----------
MY RESPONSE:
Everyone wants it all…I want to get big and strong but I want to stay lean. Who can blame a fella’ when that’s what every ad in Muscle & Fitness touts.
Seriously, though I’m proud to hear that he’s had enough and looking to make a change. You just need to capitalize on that motivation and keep him coming back by showing he can make progress by following a very simple plan. It’s cheesy to say but it will take some time so stress patience with him. You want him to stay motivated so building some sort of progress report is critical.
Things to track will include weight, waist size, and strength numbers (squat, bench, pushups, pull-ups, etc.) Sometimes it’ll seem like he’s losing progress on one but gaining on another; people stop investing when they stop seeing gains. Eventually you can even add discretionary measurements like, do you have more energy at work, do you have stabilized moods throughout the day, did that skin rash go away.
I guess the real question would be what are his goals and why does he want to lose the weight and/or build muscle. Does he just want to look better to girls, does he want to feel better, is there something he’s been dying to try but can’t because he’s too big/weak? Does he just want to be BIG or does he want to be STRONG? That will then help decide what course of action to take and how to keep him motivated to stay on track (the latter being the most critical part of any decision to make a life change like this.)
So let’s look at a game plan:
1. Weight Loss
If weight loss is the main goal then the MOST important piece is diet. That is about 70% of the problem…maybe 80%. He needs to eat nourishing foods that balance hormones so the body learns to use fat as a fuel source and not as a permanent storage tool. That diet is the same Paleo deal I’ve introduced you to (you can refer him to my link or just have him google it.) With big weight loss numbers like that you’ll just need to make sure he cuts out as many of the carbs as possible. He doesn’t have to kill himself over it but just know the LESS carbs you eat, the more FAT you burn. Don’t be scared to EAT fat and CHOLESTOROL.
If he only does one thing with his diet it would be to cut out ALL grains (for the useless carb and gluten factor.)
If he had to do two things it would be to cut ALL grains and ALL sugar (including no-cal sugar).
If we added one more thing, it would be to sleep 8-9 hours a night. Lack of sleep stresses the body and stress causes weight gain. Plus, sleep normalizes hormonal balance and sets recovery for any of the working out and alone could cut 5lbs off of someone who is 30lbs overweight.
Eventually he can get all about paleo but if there were 3 things that will make the most impact it’s those listed above.
2. Strength/Muscle
Train how you want to be. If you want to be a skinny and emaciated marathoner, then train like a marathoner. If you want to look like a linebacker then train like a linebacker.
I totally agree with your plan to start with the assessment of what he can do and track his progress. From there you just want to understand how lean/built he wants to be and then use the exercises that will get him there and scale them appropriately to his ability and slowly build weight/time on those exercises.
My own personal assessment on training is to focus on the most impactful and efficient exercises, including… barbell training (squat, bench, deadlift, press, cleans) intertwined with bodyweight exercises (pull-ups, pushups, dips, back-extensions, situps/leg-lifts, sprints, air squats) and assistant weight exercises (kettlebells, medicine balls, sled push). If done correctly you can get the best of both worlds; muscle work and high heart rate training. The key is to give your body a hormonal stimulus that promotes HGH secretion. This is done by weight training. Cardio does NOT promote the right hormone balance.
I think maybe two days of the week of Wendler plus one day of sprints are all he needs. Obviously, you’d need to set the weights low enough but tell him to check his ego at the door because it’s not about strength now but building over time. For sprints, try to do anywhere from 6 to 8 sets of 200yd (outside, NOT on a treadmill; it’s not the same on a treadmill.)
With this workout plan there is one more thing that is probably the MOST important. WALK. It is this baseline of activity that is one of the most beneficial exercises and the absolute foundation to a healthy life and hormonal regulation. I don’t know how far it is from his home to the office but walk it. Or take an earlier subway stop and walk the rest of the way…either way, it’s the best thing you can do and living in the city (if that’s where he lives) I’m guessing he has the opportunity to do that often.
Lastly, don’t over-train. When people are getting on a new plan they want to go balls out and work out every day. Limit to 3 or 4 days max. As long as you’re walking you don’t need to do more than that.
So, this turned out longer than expected but I get all hyped up trying to help someone find the simplest plan to weight loss and strength gain and the above tactics are what I’ve found to be a blanket prescription. Obviously, this needs to be tweaked to accommodate his goals and his body but it’s a good start.
Tell me if I can help further.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
080311
6am
Clean and Jerk
185
205
215
225 clean fail
225 clean good, jerk fail
pullups/pushups
15/20
7/16
5/12
Clean and Jerk
185
205
215
225 clean fail
225 clean good, jerk fail
pullups/pushups
15/20
7/16
5/12
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Paleo is Dead Last in Diet Showdown
It's almost comedic how terrible the investigative work was in a piece published by US News and World, especially around researching the Paleo diet benefits and drawbacks. Here's the link to the blog post by Robb Wolf that includes the story links and a retort by Dr. Loren Cordain.
All I can say is, if you don't trust the Paleo research, then try it (or any of the other 20 diets in the lineup) and see how you feel. It isn't until you see the results for yourself that you will ever stick with a particular diet and evangelize it. The unfortunate part is that sometimes after doing some of these diets for an extended period of time - cough, vegetarian, cough - you can create irreversible bodily damage due to nutrient deprivation and unintentional poisoning (I'm looking at you, SOY.)
All I can see through all of this nonsense is a need for better nutritional research, that's the only way traction will be made to "convince" any doubters. And, hell, maybe it's not Paleo...but I so far it's been the most logical (and clinically) well supported diet philosophy out there.
LINK TO STORY AT ROBBWOLF.COM
Monday, June 6, 2011
Diet Summary Email
* picture from http://paleolithicnutrition.org/paleo-diet-rules
Through the last couple years of doing this Paleo "diet" I must have sent a variation of about a dozen different emails explaining the foundations of what to eat and a little of why. To make things easier I want to post those instructions on the blog to make the reference a bit easier and hopefully make it a public resource for other folks to find and follow.
Bottom line is...EAT. REAL. FOOD (mainly meat and veggies.)
Easy enough, right?
----------------
Cliff notes:
- eat a lot of veggies (NO potatoes and NO corn, but go ahead and eat as many avocados as you want)
- eat a lot of protein (ANY kind of meat; fish, chicken, ribs, burgers, red-meat, bacon...it doesn't matter. Don't worry about fat/saturated fat/cholesterol content; I can give evidence why if you have time to talk)
- eat healthy oils (olive, coconut and have started cooking with bacon fat...yes, bacon fat is healthy and MUCH healthier than your vegetable oils)
- eat some fruit (not too much if you're trying to lose fat)
- do NOT eat any bread, pasta or grains (includes all of those "healthy" whole grain breads, pastas and cereals...it's all just sugar in the end and refined carbs/gluten cause a TON of digestive and metabolic issues [if you're worried about fiber intake, you'll get plenty of fiber from your veggies])
- do NOT eat dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)
- do NOT eat beans (or peanuts)
- do NOT eat soy (this stuff is SUPER problematic)
- stay away from ALL sugar/sweeteners especially High-Fructose-Corn-Syrup
- do NOT drink soda (including diet soda...sparking/mineral/seltzer water is ok)
- try to stay away from anything in a wrapper (protein bars, meal replacement bars, junk that has more than 4 ingredients)
- stay away from booze for the time being. If you need a drink I recommend sticking with clear alcohols (definitely do NOT drink beer...see "do NOT eat grains" note above)
- exercise: 20-30min of cross-training weight exercises 3-4 days a week is sufficient for impactful gains (I recommend weights over cardio as muscle burns more fat and those exercises yield return greater returns in hormones and favorable blood composition...the more barbell in your exercises [bench, squat, deadlift, shoulder press...and pullups too] the better). Cardio leads to increased stress hormones and appetite that will make you want to eat more, and, in most cases, over-compensate for the calorie burning you just had in your workout.
- sleep as much as you can (8 hours or more)
- take fish oil supplements: 3g/day (it looks like a lot but worth it given the imbalance in omega-3 [EPA/DHA kind, not the stuff coming from flaxseed] in our modern diets...you can get 'em at Costco or buy the actual oil [I'd recommend a flavored version] from GNC to save on costs)
- take vitamin D supplements
- take Magnesium supplements before you go to bed
This program is much easier than it sounds and in it's simplest form is "eat real food." This includes any delicious meat you have been told to stay away from. You can eat as much as you want of the "approved" foods so you don't have to ration yourself and feel hungry (fats and proteins make you feel fuller longer and help promote your body to use your stored fat as an energy source).
NOTE: about 2 weeks into this your body might feel VERY hungry and crave carbs; resist as your body's getting adjusted to using its fat as a fuel source. If you find yourself getting hungry then eat more protein/fat (don't worry about fat/cholesterol content...it's a myth that those will get you fat and raise levels of "bad" blood indicators, the main issue is cutting out the problematic foods that humans aren't used to eating [refined carbs, gluten, hydrogenated oils, etc] as THESE are the true sources of coronary heart disease, diabetes and a slew of metabolic syndrome issues; your blood work will support that fact.)
The only discipline this takes is to have enough prepared foods available to not make the cooking a barrier of entry. My recommendation is to take a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday and cook up a storm; tons of meats, veggies and sort it all out in tupperware. When you feel hungry throughout the week you dig into your prepared foods and you will be more likely to stay on course than stray with a bowl of pasta or ordering a pizza or "healthy wrap". Oh, and for breakfast...eat eggs WITH yolks. Yolks are the healthiest (and most delicious) part and will not raise your cholesterol or make you fat; quite the contrary.
Trust me, try this for 30-days and I'd all but guarantee that you'll look and feel MUCH better...hell, I'll put $50 on it...what do you have to lose (but potentially a lot to gain.) If you've done bloodwork with your doc this week it would be very interesting to see how those levels would compare to a solid month of Paleo.
Got a little lengthy here on the email and don't mean to preach. It's quite a bit to digest and am happy to share more around the "why" for each category if you'd like.
-D
060411
Workout at Crossfit South Arlington
Press
165 4-3
Medley of form for Push Press, Clean and Snatch
Metcon: LYNNE
5 rounds max reps of...
- Bodyweight Bench (200lb)
- Strict Pullups
7/15
6/11
5/11
4/10
3/6
TOTAL: 25/53
Press
165 4-3
Medley of form for Push Press, Clean and Snatch
Metcon: LYNNE
5 rounds max reps of...
- Bodyweight Bench (200lb)
- Strict Pullups
7/15
6/11
5/11
4/10
3/6
TOTAL: 25/53
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Erg
After rowing a few months of crew I'm college I vowed never to sit my ass on am erg again. About 10 years later I just bought on knowing the full body benefits capable on this machine. Plus, its one of the core machines needed to finish off my Rusty's box; slowly but surely I'm piecing it all together.
Cost: $200 on Craigslist and in great condition, which isn't bad considering that this machine retails for $1300 new.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
83
First day of golf in over 2 years and immediately fell back in love. Aside from the guys I was playing with talking/moving during my swing, the day was so peaceful and therapitic.
Like most times I start a season, the first round went better than expected. I attribute this to the fact that I am apprehensive and thus try to have a nice easy swing. As the season progresses I do get better but iI often become a mental basket case as I start thinking too much.
I've made a promise to myself to act as though EVERY round of golf from here on out will be played mentally like its the first one coming back from a long hiatus:
- pre shot routine
- visualize good ball path (ball landing high and soft)
- light grip
- think of nothing (zone)
- let the body do its thing with a nice easy swing and get the club to do all the work
Luckily I've played long enough that the muscle memory to zone out is trained well enough to get the club on the ball for a solid strike. I'm sure there are mechanics issues that can be refined but the key is not to overthink. Like Yogi Berra said, "how can you hit a baseball if you're thinking." So true and maybe moreso with GOLF. Enter the zone and let your body do what its been trained to do. Don't over-complicate with the mind and you'll fond yourself striking the ball how you've visualized in your preshot routine.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Quarters Galore
At work I've set up a candy (peanut M&M's) and trail mix coin-op machine. After a few months of refilling the goodies (mainly the M&M's) I went in to collect the profits. Result...
$221.02
Not shabby for a side business of scraping quarters from coworkers.
* pic of $100 in quarters.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Email to My Mother-In-Law
*Paleo Pyramid from http://www.healthhabits.ca/2010/01/25/paleo-recipe-resource-page/
Below is an email I drafted for my mother-in-law, Jane, who has taken on the Paleo diet with a fierce vengeance. It's great to see her get into the program and make such remarkable improvements in weight (lost 15 pounds, but now hitting a perceived "plateau"), and not to mention, further evangelize the lifestyle to others in her inner-circle of friends. It's always nice to have another success story and ambassador.
Here's the email...
--------------------------------
NOTE: I started this email as a quick guide and it completely got out of hand once I started composing it and turned out MUCH longer than expected. Hope you find it useful!
Hi Jane,
Happy Mother's Day, again...it was great to see you, Jack and Laurie and hope you guys made it out to LI without much traffic on Monday.
I wanted to quickly follow up with some workout suggestions since you sounded interested and couldn't get to much into the specifics. With what I've learned there are some refinements that will help further your progress on body composition and overall health and longevity.
But before getting into the details I wanted to say that it's great that you've embraced the diet as that is a huge step in the right direction to promote wellness regardless of age. What's even better is that you've also shared the story with others and that they, too, have been receptive...it's so much common sense that it's often dismissed given media's dietary recommendations (and the dodgy medical studies that have enforced the low-fat diet.) If you find the information I'm about to share useful then please feel free to forward it along to any of the folks you've already recommended a paleo lifestyle.
If you're interested in learning more from educated/trained sources I'd highly recommend a book I just finished, Protein Power (LINK) that provides a solid and easy-to-read perspective into the science. It's not "paleo" per-se since they talk about eating grains, beans and other problematic foods, but the science into a lower-carb lifestyle to control weight is insightful. There's tons of other literature and also liked The Primal Blueprint (LINK) for a decent background into the science, workout and diet. Another interesting read is Why We Get Fat (LINK) that highlights and refutes/debunks studies that have proven as the blueprint for the current "healthy" diet recommendations (this one is a GREAT read but gets you a little frustrated why the medical community keeps prescribing low-fat diets to obese patients.) Vegetarian Myth is also a good eye-opener (LINK). Regardless, you'll keep seeing the steady theme that the issue with weight and other terrible diseases is linked to insulin, not high-fat/cholesterol diets that doctors have been decrying for years.
Based on what you're saying about your diet you've been following the directive with a high level of compliance with occasional treats in the form of ice cream (I'm guessing Run Raisin) and wine. Keep it up and don't be scared to venture into eating more protein and fat (in the form of fatty meats, nuts and healthy oils like olive and coconut) as the fat is your new energy source, and your body will need it to stave off hunger (eating fat will NOT make you fat, instead it helps to balance the hormones involved in releasing STORED fat as an energy source.)
What would be interesting to see if what would happen if those "treats" were fully eliminated for a set period of time and how that impacts your goals. It's an extreme approach but a scheduled timeframe will help keep you focused and test if those might be some of the contributing factors in your current plateau. From what I'm reading/hearing, even 2-weeks would be a sufficient timeframe to start seeing potential results.
Speaking of your plateau, it sounds like you have been working out pretty crazy, which can be both a good and bad thing. One thing to keep in mind that even though your "weight" has remained steady, your body composition is changing as a result of the diet and your physical activity and there might be an offset that you're losing fat AND gaining muscle. This is exactly what you want to do so get the perception of "total weight" as the measurement for success out of your mind. In Carley's case, she's complained that the diet has led to a higher number on the scale, but fails to accept that it's been in the form of healthier lean muscle (the definition in her arms, legs and back are remarkable to the "skinny" girl she was before.)
Don't think of progress of weight it as a "total number" and you'll have success staying with a healthy lifestyle. Remember, just because someone is skinny doesn't mean they're healthy.
Well, that was a lot longer diatribe than expected around the diet piece of things but hope you find it helpful.
As for the workouts, I'll try keep it short and simple. I'll explain some of the "why's" as I go but for the most part if you're going to work out let's give the regimen that gives you the biggest-bang-for-the-buck.
The activity baseline from The Primal Blueprint is actually one of the best I've seen for the general population and would be my recommendation for you to follow:
1. Move frequently at a slow pace (This is as simple as walking, which sounds like you already have a great habit of doing...keep it up! In terms of frequency, I'd do #1 [walk] as much as you can fit it in. No need to go crazy on the walking but just know that just because you're not working up a sweat doesn't mean it's not beneficial for health.)
2. Lift Heavy Things (Use multi-muscle movements using the biggest muscle groups, and avoid the useless dinky weight movements like those silly tricept extensions and bicept curls...those are a waste of time compared to doing multi-functional movements that focus on your legs, butt and back. Building muscle will protect you from injury by strengthening the smaller stabilizer muscles that are often ignored and cause the issues of injury, building muscles releases hormones ["human growth hormone"] that will also drive up metabolism and proper function of fat release from fat cells as an energy source, muscle has a higher resting metabolism so you'll be able to offset any potential calorie overloads, and weight-lifting puts stresses on bones that help it from deteriorating [a big issue with women in later ages...if you don't stress the living bones they will naturally release their volume, and the major reason why older generations fall apart; they no longer stressing their bones/muscles]. There's TONS of other reasons why muscle is great but hopefully these will motivate you to try and build 'em up...plus, who want's to be weak? :) Frequency should be 2x-3x/week. I've listed some exercises below that you should consider and the workouts should only take about 30-45 minutes.)
3. Sprint (Seems kinda crazy and, possibly, embarrassing but the benefits are incredible in releasing ideal hormones that promote fat loss and muscle gain...again, this is our friend "human growth hormone". NOTE: don't be scared, you won't be getting all body-builder-esque because of this HGH; the levels are minor [but impactful] and women don't have the testosterone levels to put on crazy mass unless they're friends with our pal, Barry Bonds. When women say they want to be "toned," that just really means they want muscles...see #2 above. You should aim to do this once a week.)
Here's a link to a blog-post of Mark Sisson (the author of The Primal Blueprint) highlighting his theory: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-succeed-with-the-primal-blueprint/ (I'd recommend poking around that blog as he's got a ton of great info there on a multitude of healthy living topics.)
As you can see, the only things of "high intensity" are needed only about 3-4 days a week. If you're doing the RIGHT exercises you'll get better returns than working out doing chronic-cardio workouts 60-minutes a day 7 days a week. TRUST ME! If you cut down the cardio workouts you'll reduce the body stress (cortisol) and you'll reduce the propensity to store fat and a slew of other secondary mechanisms I can't get into at this time.
You might be asking, doesn't lifting weights create a stress event and release cortisol? Yes, it does, BUT with weight lifting you're releasing a different set of hormones that are on the proper pathways to curb appetite and build muscle (remember, muscle is good.) Cardio does not promote muscle repair in the same fashion, and, thus does not have that favorable hormonal release. Instead cardio depletes energy stores in the body that cells end up asking for replenishment (in the way of hunger) and often times at a HIGHER level than was burned, and ultimately being counterproductive to the original goal of having an energy deficit that would result in weight loss. This is why all too often people who work out on a low-fat/calorie restriction diet for an extended period of time eventually fail...their hunger gets the best of them (you can only fight your natural urges for so long.) Incorporating the right workouts with the right diet you will balance your hormones while eating as much food as you want to feel full. There's never a feeling of hunger and, thus, you're more likely to succeed!
OK, this email has gotten WAY too long. Jeez. Here's a quick look at the workouts you would do in a given week (I can work with you on the form and weight recommendations.) It may seem a bit boring but these simple exercises will be your key to yielding the most remarkable returns you have seen from ANY workout routine you've EVER done. Again, TRUST ME!
Day 1
- Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps
- Bench: 3 sets of 5 reps
- 3 rounds (as fast as possible):
10 pullups
20 pushups
20 situps
Day 2
- Deadlifts: 3 sets of 5 reps
- Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 5 reps
- 3 rounds (as fast as possible):
10 pullups
20 pushups or dips
20 back-extensions
Day 3
- Sprints: 200 yards x10
You may be wondering...is that it? Workouts only 3 days a week? But my doctor says I need to get 30-60 minutes of high-intensity a day 5-6 days a week? Remember, your doctor is also recommending whole grains and orange juice for breakfast and to stay away from egg yolks and bacon.
As skeptical as you (or your friends who might receive this) might be, all I ask is that you try the workouts and high-protein/high-fat paleo diet at 100% intensity for ONE MONTH. Worst comes to worse you'll know that this does NOT yield the results you're looking for (fat loss, improved strength, improved energy and mental clarity, and general well being.) But, in the chance that this DOES work (which I strongly believe that it will), you will notice a remarkable transformation that will change your perceptions of diet and exercise for a lifetime.
If you prefer to take this one step further, you may want to get blood work before beginning on the program and then once again 30-days later and see how things do/don't improve. Either way, let's commit 2 to 4 weeks and see how things shake out before calling this program/diet ridiculous.
Soooo...this email totally got out of hand. I just got started and couldn't stop. If you have ANY questions, don't hesitate to email/call.
Oh, one last thing...sleep as much as you can (8-9hrs if you can) and take some fish oil pills. Both of those will help normalize your body's chemistry and hormonal balancing.
-DG
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
050811
Deadlift
320 3x3
Clean and Jerk Chicken
165 5x3
3 rounds
10 pullups
20 pushups
20 back extensions
Friday, May 6, 2011
050611
6am
Squats
255 5x3
Press
160 5x3
2 rounds
10 pullups
10 dips
10 situps (roman chair)
1 round
5 pullups
10 dips
10 situps (roman chair)
Squats
255 5x3
Press
160 5x3
2 rounds
10 pullups
10 dips
10 situps (roman chair)
1 round
5 pullups
10 dips
10 situps (roman chair)
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
050311
6am
Bench
220 5x3
Deadlift
320 5x3
2 rounds
10 pullups
25 pushups
20 back extensions
1 round
5 pullups
15 pushups
20 back extensions
Saturday, April 30, 2011
043011
Squat
250 5x3
Cleaners and Jerk
150 5x3
3 rounds
10 pullups
25 pushups
20 situps (roman chair)
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Weightlifting Shoes
After long consideration (and research) I went ahead and pulled the trigger on weightlifting shoes.
So what's so special about these silly looking shoes? And why does lifting weights need special shoes to behind with? Keep in mind my feedback is based on what I've read and heard so I don't have first hand experience...yet.
The main prupose of these shoes are to provide a stable platform that allows for the optimal transfer of energy from the floor up through the bar. Better transfer means stronger lifts.
So how do these shoes achieve this?
First, it has a stable shoe construction that cups the heel and straps the top of the foot snugly into the shoe.
Second, and more importantly, it has a solid heel (usually made of wood or highly compressed rubber). This dense heel will NOT compress or shift when weight is applied allowing for that drive from the floor and up through the foot/body.
Think about those running shoes you're wearing. Comfy, yes. Stable with weights, no. Envision you're squatting and just as you get to the bottom the weight momentum from downward to upward creates a significant weight rebound that is greater than the weight itself. A typical running shoe heel will absorb some of that shock and, thus, you lose energy transfer and increase instability. A solid heel lets you capture that energy through muscle tension and improves your lift capacity.
Again...this is what I'm told.
Today was the first day I rocked out my brand new Risto Linea Blancas. You can find them HERE. They cost me about $150 shipped which is the most I've spent on any kind of shoe in years. I figure as I want to get serious on getting stronger it is a minor investment. Plus, knowing I spent that much on specialized shoes will force me to use them (nothing like making a sunk cost as a motivating factor). I discovered these specific shoes through a dedicated site on selling/reviewing weightlifting shoes and would highly recommend peeking at their reviews before making your investment (http://buyweightliftingshoes.com/).
So back to my first experience. Overall, noticed considerable stability and a good heel position in the block. Additionally, the 3/4" heel feels different than my old Adidas Goodyears that had a tiny sole. Squats were pretty solid and noticed a slight change in form (probably from the heel) and decent rebound at the bottom. I guess I was concentrating more on the weight than I was the energy transfer through my feet. I can't say it was an "ah-ha" moment but I can see why weightlifters say that specialty shoes are a requirement. My guess is that I'll have to get used to them and eventually will reap the benefits of the equipment upgrade.
Also did a few sets of clean and jerks this morning and did notice a big benefit in overall stability when making the pulls and jumps. Definitely an improvement in this category.
Overall, I'm happy with the upgrade in footwear if anything for the new motivating factor.
Next on the list of equipment upgrades is a weightlifting belt. I got a bunch of info from the folks at 70's big (info on SHOES, and info on BELTS) and sounds like it will be a big contributor to lifting safely and getting strong, because, after all, strong is the goal.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
041211
6am
Deadlift
5x3 275
Press
5x3 150
3 rounds
10x pullups
10x dips
30x situps
Note on breakfast:
4 eggs (with yolks)
3 strips of bacon
1.5 sweet potatoes with butter
Pint of whole milk
A breakfast like this "should" make me fat and prone for a heart attack, right? Get wise.
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