Hungry?

Doug made a good point last night when he suggested the idea of putting some paleo friendly meal ideas on the blog. If you are not familiar with this way of eating, it can seem a bit daunting at first. The ironic thing is that, in my opinion, eating in this fashion is simpler than many people realize.

With this in mind, I offer the following links that give recipes and suggestions for meals. If I make something that is particularly appetizing, I may post it here as well.

One thing that you will notice in these recipes and paleo cooking in general is the wide array of color. This suggests a high nutrient density. When you look at your plate and see nothing but brown, the nutrient density is suspect.

Here are the links:

http://www.performancemenu.com/recipes/recipes.php

http://mypaleokitchen.blogspot.com/

http://georgesrecipes.blogspot.com/

http://robbwolf.com/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Once you get the hang of it, it's amazing how easy it is to just throw stuff together that tastes great. If the nutrition stuff is interesting to you, check out Cordain's site first (a post or two down from this), then look at the above sites.

7.30.08

for time...

burpees X 10
run 900 meters
burpees X 20
run 600 meters
burpees X 30
run 300 meters

Trent, JJ, Dawn, Stephen, Peggy, Butch, Conrad, Chris, Doug, Joe, Jordan, Kyle

Schedule Reminder

Monday--Jordan is available for "unofficial" group training @ 6:30pm

Tuesday--6:30pm

Wednesday--6:30pm

Thursday--6:30pm

Due to a technicality, Monday workouts will not be labeled as official classes. However, little can be done to stop a group from spontaneously meeting to work out together. I plan to make it by some Mondays when I don't have my evening meeting.

If you want to train on Mondays, my advice is to do one of the following:

a) Jordan's workout
b) Max Effort for that week
c) Crossfit.com workout
d) Whatever you enjoy

If there is a demand, I will post a workout for Monday. Email me at tpgbr1@yahoo.com if you want this.

I am excited about the new schedule because of the increased flexibility it offers. The idea here is that this schedule will allow you more latitude in your training. It is not intended to push the idea that more is always better. I am not expecting to see everyone everyday. If you can handle that type of workload and remain happy and healthy, more power to you! Listen to your body. This stuff is strong medicine. It is intended to add to the quality and enjoyment of your life, not detract from it or become the center of it.

That was quite a ramble. I hope you get the picture.

Nutrition and Exercise

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but I keep forgetting (probably because I didn't write it down, Peggy). Here is a link to a post by Robb Wolf on Art DeVany's site. Robb is a research biochemist turned strength trainer. He knows his stuff.

The photos provided in his post and the accompanying explanation make a compelling case for the style of training we do combined with a paleo style way of eating. Notice I DID NOT say diet. Who the heck wants to be on a diet?

http://www.arthurdevany.com/2007/11/robb_wolfs_repo_1.html

Here's a link to Loren Cordain's site on paleo eating. He calls it a diet.

http://www.thepaleodiet.com/

7.28.08

maximum rounds in 20:00

sumo deadlift high pull X 11
handstand push-ups X 15
run 300 meters

Butch, Peggy, Joe, Brian, Dwayne, Stephen, Dawn, Doug, Jordan, Trent, JJ, Christina, Patty, Chris

It inspires me to watch such effort.

L-Sit!

Here is my niece Audrey practicing her L-sit. You should see her do burpees!

ME Workout for Week Ending 8.2.08

deadlift 3 X 1 (3 sets of 1 rep after thorough warm-up)

weighted dip 3 X 5 (3 sets of 5 reps)

Only add weight to the dip if you can perform more than 10 full dips with your body weight. That means below parallel to full extension on each repetition. If you cannot get at least 10, perform 3 sets of 1-5 reps with no extra weight. Do your best to avoid the gravitron.

deadlift videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZX6OaLctfI

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6471592440240116425&q=deadlift+crossfit&ei=mUONSPjLMoamrwKM6ZH1CQ

New Schedule

Starting the week of August 4, 2008.

We will hold classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Start time will remain 6:30pm.

The last official Monday class (for a while) will be Monday, July 28.

The first Tuesday class will be August 5.

Questions? Call Charles @ 288.7208 or email @ tpgbr1@yahoo.com.

A Request

I am in the process of formulating the plan for the next step in the development of The Proving Ground. Important parts of this plan are the stories and feedback of the people who make up our group. That is where the request lies.

If you feel that you have benefited from what we do on Monday and Wednesday nights, I want to hear from you. Please write a short (anywhere from a paragraph to a page) little ditty about what you enjoy and/or have received from the training in which you have participated. If you would like to know more about why I would like this, email me at tpgbr1@yahoo.com and I'll give you the story. It's just not ready for public consumption on the blog.

The easiest way to get it to me is email tpgbr1@yahoo.com. Hand delivered at class is great too. Typed is best, handwritten is cool. There is no need to be overly formal. Perhaps something about your background (if you are comfortable). Just write from the heart.

Thank you all very much.

7.23.08

3 rounds for time

1/2 body weight dumbbell thrusters X 25
double unders X 25 (or 75 singles)

then...

partner mat pull for 3:00

**If you weigh 200 lbs, that means you would use 2 50 lb dumbbells for the thrusters. Remember, that is the rx, do what you can with what you've got.

Happy Birthday JJ!

Dwayne, JJ, Peggy, Stephen, Dawn, Danielle, Emile, Doug, Chris, Brian, Joe

Guns n Hoses

By the way, the Spillway Classic trail run on Sunday was a blast. There are three main reasons for this:

1) They played the National Anthem. This was the first race I have ever participated in where they did this. It was excellent.

2) Once all 1,400 of us were lined up on the levee in Norco ready to start, the race director/announcer type guy announced it was time to play the theme song. They then began to play "Welcome to the Jungle" and start the race! It was beautiful.

3) Shortly past the finish line, the fire department had their water trucks out to offer up an enormous outdoor shower. OK, that sounds weird as I write it, but who cares? It was wet.

All-in-all, it was fun.

7.21.08

run 800 meters
Then alternate between...
burpees X 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
55lb dumbbell swing X 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
Then...
weighted sit-ups with the dumbbell you used for the swings X 25

**Most athletes used dumbbells weighing less than 55 lbs.

Dwayne, JJ, Brian, Emile, Stephen, Dawn, Peggy, Butch, Ryan, Garrett, Jordan, Chris, Kyle

ME Workout--Week Ending 7/26/08

back squats 3 X 5 (3 sets of 5 reps)

overhead press 3 X 5 (3 sets of 5 reps)

lsu back squat video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIqB_JtPYCI

Rippetoe back squat video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1_geMY0B2k

Rippetoe overhead press video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sebbhlKhs2E

Speed Training

Here is a link to an interesting blog post on strength training for speed athletes. http://www.bearpowered.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,f71e29fd-2598-48db-ae46-af020d7d284b.aspx

The basic idea is that if you make an athlete stronger you enable him or her to exert more force toward the ground. If you do this with a training protocol that allows for the maintenance of the athlete's body weight, you get a faster athlete. The nuts and bolts of the strength training program implemented are contained within the post. Essentially, it's moderate volume, high intensity (as a factor of the maximum poundage the athlete can lift) with plenty of rest in between sets.

Strength is good.

I'll be quiet now and let you read the linked post.

7/14/08

From all accounts, Jordan did an outstanding job last night in my absence. I understand there were medicine balls and overhead lunges involved. Good stuff! Thank you Mr. Watts.

I did the main page wods on Sunday and Monday. Had to modify Sunday a bit due to equipment constraints at the "fitness center" located at the condominium. This one is better than most because it has dumbbells up to 40lbs and a pulley device that I rig to allow me to do cross legged pull-ups w/straps. Oh, if their insurance company only knew.

Email me if you want to run Sunday.

I'm now going back to staring at the water.

ME Workout Week Ending 7/19/08

front squat 3 X 5 (3 sets of 5 reps)

weighted pull-ups 3 X 5

Here is a video on front squats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHu4jhUbx9M

If you can do more than 10 pull-ups w/your body weight, add some weight on these.

If you can't do more than 10, just do 3 sets of 70% of the maximum # of reps you can do. For instance, if your max @ body weight is 8, perform 3 sets of 6 reps (rounding up).

If you can't do any pull-ups, work the eccentric (negative) portion of the movement. Using a step if you need to, jump up to the top portion of the pull-up, pause, then slowly descend to a dead hang. Repeat this 4 more times for your first set . Do 3 sets total. Watch your chin.

Odds and Ends

I will not be at class next week (July 12-July 19). I'm not saying I don't have class, however.

Jordan will be substituting for me on Monday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 16.

I still plan on doing the Spillway Classic on Sunday, July 20. Call me at 288.7208 or email me at tpgbr1@yahoo.com if you want to go. Voodoo BBQ will be there. The link to the Spillway site is a couple of posts down from this one.

Here's the partial play list from last night ('cause a couple of people asked).

Rusty Cage--Soundgarden Version
Kickstart My Heart--Montley Crue
No Cars Go--Arcade Fire
A song or two from Maserati. They are a cool instrumental band. Love their album Inventions. The other one, not so much.
Some other stuff I forgot.

If you have any music requests, email them or post them to comments. If you burn it, chances are I'll play it. Heck, if I like it, I'll burn it and play it. If not, we are heading toward a death spiral of nothing but Foreigner and AC/DC! Got a "thank you" from a member of the class next door concerning the music last night!

I am researching and formulating an advanced joint mobility non-routine routine. I will teach it when I have a better handle on it.

I'll post the ME workout for next week by Saturday.

Call me or email me with questions/comments.

Whew, that was long.

7/9/08

for time--

run 400 meters
hyper push-ups X 50
run 400 meters
pull-ups X 25
run 400 meters

**A hyper push-up is a push-up with the hands elevated on steps or blocks. This allows greater depth to be achieved on the eccentric portion of the movement. In other words, same weight (your body weight) with a greater distance.

rest about 2:00

max rounds in 5:00
partner 1 buddy drags partner 2 1 lap (aprox 20 meters)
partner 1 and partner 2 perform 7 burpees each
switch roles and repeat for 5:00

**To do the buddy drag, partner 1 lies face up on a mat with his head facing partner 2. They lock hands with partner 2's hands palm down and partner 1's hands palm up. Partner 2 then pulls partner 1 as fast as he can.

Peggy, Dawn, Dwayne, Emile, Trent, JJ, Chris, Stephen, Joe, Garret (welcome back grasshopper), Conrad (In the Zone--thanks Barry Sears)

7/7/08 (There is No Beer in Texas)

Editor's Note: This workout has been posthumously named There is No Beer in Texas.

a) 1/4 body weight dumbbell snatch
handstand push-ups

**Perform 1 dumbbell snatch with your right arm, 1 with the left arm, then 1 handstand push-up. Perform 2 dumbbell snatches with the right, 2 with the left and 2 handstand push-ups. Continue with the pattern going as high (numerically speaking) as you can in ten minutes.

rest about 2:00

alternate 6 round tabata...

squats
sit-ups

:20 of squats
:10 rest
:20 of sit-ups
:10 rest

Rinse and repeat 5 more times for a total of 6 rounds.

Dawn, Stephen, Peggy, Patty, Trent, JJ, Emile, Dwayne, Doug, Chris, Jordan, Ronald, Conrad

My Name is Mud

The Spillway Classic three mile trail run is Sunday, July 20. Looks like a lot of fun. Don't wear good shoes. Email me at tpgbr1@yahoo.com if you want to go. Take a look at the link--

http://www.runnotc.org/races/2008/spillway.html

ME Week Ending 7/12/08

deadlift 1 X 5

push-press 3 X 5

For the deadlift, gradually work up to one heavy set of five reps. Take as many sets as you need to gradually work to this one heavy set.

Happy Independence Day!

I plan on running the Freedom Mile downtown tomorrow. It's straight, it's fast and it hurts. If anyone wants to join me, here's the info:

http://www.lawired.com/csr/home.htm

The hard copy of the ME workouts is in the plastic magazine holder on the right side of the coffee pot at the front of the Y. Look on the right side @ the very back. Please leave it there.

What a blessing it is to live in this great country!

7/2/08

for time...
35lb dumbbell thrusters X 35
rest 2:00
sit-ups X 75
rest 2:00
burpees X 35
rest 2:00
800 meter run

Kyle, Jordan, Erica, JJ, Peggy, Chris, Doug, Emile

The First ME Workout & How-to Primer

Here's the first in this series.

back squat 3 X 5 (3 sets of 5)
dumbbell overhead press 3 X 5

The Procedure
Warm-up with joint mobility and movement stuff. I like to perform a round or two of the following:

squat or lunge variation
push variation (push-up, dip, etc.)
pull variation (pull-up, etc.)
torso flexion (sit-up variation)
torso extension (back extension, good morning, etc.)

Do a light jog, stint on the bike or something else to get warm if you like.

The prescribed set and rep scheme refers to your work sets. I recommend doing 2-3 warm-up sets prior to this. I always start very light (the bar) and get progressively heavier as I approach my work sets.

Your work sets need to be challenging but not epic! Don't go to failure.

Rest at least 90 seconds but closer to two minutes between each set.

I recommend recording the weight you lift, reps, etc. for these workouts.

I will occasionally throw in a brief, optional metabolic workout at the end.

Always take into account the fact you do not train in a vacuum removed from your life. Stress, lack of sleep, bad diet and the rest can take their toll. Sometimes, you just need to relax and not workout. The world will not come crashing down as a result;)

Per Dwayne's excellent suggestion, I will post the workout in a folder and leave it at the front for those who have tricky internet access. I'll tell you exactly where it will be tomorrow (7/2/08).

I will provide coaching on the two movements for this week's ME workout tomorrow as well.

Thank you all for your continued dedication and effort.