3rd Time Was A Charm

  If you follow me at my Face Book Page you know by now that I won Masters at this years UDT/SEAL Museum 5K on Sat. Nov.9!

   3 weeks in a row of competition, 3 weeks in a row winning my age group ( Run To Row 5K on my Bday) or even better winning Masters 2 weeks in a row ( Honor Flight 5K and now Muster). My time each week decreased ( 23:24 in Run To Row, 22:36 in Honor Flight and 21:32 at Muster!). My only disappointment at Muster was I was #14 overall. Still out of 180 + people I guess I shouldn't complain.

   You better believe I trained hard for this race especially. I'll tell you about that in a future post. Meanwhile, my next race is a triathlon suppose. It's a bridge-swim-run also being held by the UDT/SEAL Museum. It's at the Barber Bridge in Vero Beach. It's about a 100 meter swim, then we climb up a 65 foot caving ladder , grab a flag midway, then when we get on the bridge we run 1 lap ( about a mile ), then fast rope down, part way down click the flag onto the rope, and swim back! By the way, we'll be wearing shirts, jeans/pants, and boots along with a helmet and harness for safety obviously.

  I don't have access to a rope, let alone a rope ladder so I just have to focus on pull ups. I've done very little swimming lately but it's a short swim anyway. I'll probably use side stroke or breast stroke. I'll have to really go for it at the run. But all areas I'm going to give it my all.

  This is an example of taking on new challenges, keeping your motivation up, staying hungry. Wish me luck.

Fight It Back

 That was a song from the German band Accept. But in this case I meant age, specifically mine!

 For 2 Fridays in a row now, I've competed in 5k's. Last Friday I celebrated my birthday by running the Run To Row 5k at the Treasure Coast Rowing Club in Palm City ( I'll leave it to you to guess my age. Talking about Accept and listening to Iron Maiden as I write this should give you an idea). I ran it in 23:24, won my age group, and came in 9th overall. Oh, and it was my first race of 2013.

  And tonight I ran in the first Honor Flight 5k at Witham Field in Stuart. It was for a great cause, all the proceeds going towards getting World War II veterans to the WW II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Both these races have been in the evening, Run To Row at 7 pm and tonight's at 5:45. I barely made it on time, got a small warm up in, and had eaten ( although that was 4 1/2 hours earlier ). Despite that, I finished in 22:36, won Masters, and came in 4th overall! Plus I got this big trophy/light!

I won't lie, it was tough. And I didn't do as good as I'd have liked. And next Saturday comes my favorite, and toughest, the Navy UDT/SEAL Museum 5k. God knows what can and will happen.


 Despite the different obstacles, I think I showed that proper training along with the right mindset can take you to new heights.

Strengthening Your Way to the Finish Line

   Yet another study which shows how resistance training can help endurance athletes.


   This article by NASM details some studies that show how strength training can improve running efficiency which in turn obviously helps in a race. This doesn't mean body building ( triceps extension, pec flyes,etc ) but heavy lifting and explosive lifting. This means exercises like the dead lift ( power lifting ) or the clean and jerk ( Olympic lifting ). Theses exercises help with explosive power and even breaking power . I can honestly say from first hand experience that strength training , whatever it may be ( weights, kettle bells,etc) can only help, not hinder.


  So along with your road work, biking, or swimming, don't forget to stay strong.

B-O-R-I-N-G

   I took the title from this excellent post by Geoff Neupert. In the post he explains how posture is critical to not just looks or physiology ( although those are important) but also performance. I can appreciate that as I've seen and felt the difference when I'm in alignment. You name it, strength exercises ( 1 leg squats, overhead presses) , swimming, and running. In fact, not being in alignment I would add also can cause injuries. I unfortunately have found out the hard ( and painful ) way. So check it out and put the effort into proper alignment. Trust me, it's not boring.

No Limitation As Limitation

 Sorry for the long gap in posts but I was seriously busy trying to improve my knowledge and skills. I'll tell you some other time.


 That title comes from Bruce Lee's famous statement " Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation". Let's focus on the second part of that statement. I feel that's especially timely in light of a couple of  things. One was this past July 20th marked his 40th year passing (R.I.P).

   While everyone knows about Lee's phenomenal skill, strength, and speed as a martial artist, what most people don't know about his limitations. He himself admitted as much. Did you know he was very nearsighted? Infact that was the main reason he studied Wing Chun Kung Fu , so he could fight in close. He wore contact lenses the rest of his life.



   One leg of his was shorter than the other.  He also had a small frame and was prone to sinuses. Despite these problems he put the effort to overcome these obstacles. And because of the height difference , even though he was a righty, he switched to a lefty's stance. He found this to be more powerful. He had defeated his "limitations".


  Another thing was this article from Eric Guttman. His article came infact just a few days earlier. Guttman points out how many famous people overcame obstacles to achieve success. Some examples include Michael Jordan and Bill Gates.

    And just this past Labor Day, endurance swimmer Diana Nyad completed the Cuba - Key West swim. That's 100+ miles! Did I mention she's 64 years old? Did I also mention this was her 5th attempt? That's perseverance!  I think it also shows she didn't let her age "limitation" stop her!


    I too have had to overcome limitations. One hip is slightly higher than the other, there's a slight curve in my spine, and my feet while not flat don't have big arches. Despite this I've been able to become a pretty athletic guy, doing pretty good in running and strength activities. At age 42 I was able to run a 5:45 mile and at age 46 I was finally able to do a 1 leg squat ( aka the pistol ).


    We may have limitations but we shouldn't let those keep us down.

You Do Have A Choice

 Hey everybody. Hope you had a great 4th. However I hope you didn't indulge too much, and if you did get ready to work all that off.

  Of course since most of you reading this are serious in your training, whether a warrior in real life or a warrior in athletic competition, you already know that and when you do indulge you'll get back on track immediately.


  Strength expert Pat Flynn wrote an excellent post about the choice we have to be obese or not. He points out in modern America people lack accountability and instead blame other factors. Well we make the final decision.

  Motivation and mental attitude are definitely 2 key factors in becoming a winner. That's the final ingredient beyond physical attributes and skill that separates the contenders from the quitters. As most of you reading my blog as well as my site, stluciestrengthfitness.yolasite.com, know I've battled the bulge much of my life. I've let myself go for many years. I was a heavy smoker. But as I commented, it's almost 13 years since I quit smoking, and over 4 years since I've lost and kept the fat off. Reaching for the top motivates me. I'm serious about reaching the top. If you're also serious you have to decide whether you'll quit and live for just donuts and beer, or put your heart into your training and make serious, and possibly major lifestyle changes. Which is it? The couch or the winners circle?

Strength Variables:Speed

   One of the variables in strength training is the speed of the activity.

    This post is only about strength activities like power lifting or body weigh exercises, not speed activities like running or swimming. Nor is it about explosive activities like Olympic weightlifting or obstacle courses. However strength training will actually help all these activities as I've pointed out in previous posts.

     There are 3 phases of most activities . There's the eccentric or down phase , often called the  "negative". Then there's usually a static or isometric phase when there 's a pause. And finally there's the concentric motion or up phase .

       These motions occur in almost all strength training, whether weights, kettle bells , or body weight training. How fast you control those motions will affect your strength.



         For maximal strength , low rep slow strength like the military press or 1 leg squats, basically you want to train relatively slow. This doesn't  mean crawling along but rather controlling the motion rather than letting the motion control you. This means don't rush the motion but proceed in a natural way.


           Let's use the military press as an example. When you're ready, just start pressing the bar overhead at a normal pace. You don't have to count , just don't rush and push press or jerk it. This isn't supposed to be that type of lift. If you're using a reasonably heavy enough weight , you'll be forced to press at a natural speed . Press overhead all the way to lockout over the shoulders. Now pause for one or two seconds. Now do slowly lower the bar back down to your rack position.


              Some quick notes.  This rule applies whether to weights , dumb bells, kettle bells, suspension equipment, or even body weight exercises. Remember, this is about maximal strength. For high rep, strength endurance like regular push ups and pull ups, you can train the same way but because of the lighter load, ie less resistance, automatically the reps will be faster as well as more numerous. Again do control your speed, especially on the negative. Obviously there's no way you can hope to dead lift 400 lbs 50 times while 30 + pull-ups , even with a reasonable amount of weight, is definitely possible.


                Remember, no training to failure. You may want to train small amounts through the day or low reps with many sets at once. In a test or competition you want to go as fast as possible. On the negative especially you don't want to waste energy controlling the rep. Nor do you want to pause more than a second at each lockout or completion . Just keep moving in good form.

            Hopefully this post will help you on your strength quest. Remember the road to strength isn't in the fast lane.



       

Happy Birthday

    Happy belated birthday actually! My apologies.

     And it's for a man who's accomplished so much and is extremely experienced , yet he doesn't seek the limelight. He has also trained and helped many, myself included.



     That man is Tai Chi Chuan Shifu (master) Charlie Chen. Unless you live here on the Treasure Coast you probably haven't heard or read about him, although his skill rivals or exceed those you've heard of.



     Chen Shifu is an expert Chi Kung, Ba Ji Chuan Kung Fu, and Tai Chi Chuan, with a focus on Yang style. He also does Acupressure, Tui Na massage, as well as suggesting herbal remedies to clients. He has over 50 years experience but doesn't  look at all like his age. He also has avoided the ills of aging. He attributes his excellent health to his Tai Chi Chuan. He tries to teach his life lessons to his students.


      Some of the lessons are used in other activities, including fitness. 2 things have really helped me although I didn't realize it at the time. 1 is a movement from Chi Kung which is similar to the back swing in the kettle bell swing. The other thing , from Tai Chi Chuan,  is rooting into the ground. This means standing on 1 leg, putting all your weight on it. That concept  is used throughout Tai Chi Chuan. That concept has also helped me to accomplish the 1 leg squat aka the pistol which I detailed in my last post. In fact he routinely demonstrates his ability to stand on 1 leg for long amounts of time as well as move around on 1 leg.

        Again, all I can say is, Happy Birthday and a big thank you.

Major Achievement

After a few years of on/off training, I focused on accomplishing the 1 leg squat, aka the "pistol".I finally achieved it in December 2012! What a X-mas gift.

 It took all types of training to achieve that. Writing all the different types of training, as well as photos , is what delayed me. I'll do those, the how, in a future post. Meanwhile check out the videos, 1 for each leg. I will say this is an example of sticking with it.

You Need Strength To Endure Strength

  Here are a couple of good articles on the role of maximal strength as it relates to strength endurance. One is by Pavel Tsatsouline., the other by Dave Whitley.


  I think they explain quite well the importance of maximal, slow strength, even in an endurance event.Way too much emphasis is placed on endurance, cardio,etc.

  Maximal strength is the foundation of almost all movements. It also protects against injuries. As the articles point out, there's no way if you're not physically strong to carry an injured car crash victim . Or climb up a mountain, especially with a 50 lb backpack.


   Unfortunately too many people believe in only long cardio or super high reps. But as we've seen, if you don't have "strong" legs you're not going to make it up the mountain. Nor, if you don't have a strong grip, along with numerous other muscles like the core and legs, there's no way you're going to be able to carry a human being to safety.

  


    Tell me if you think that only doing push ups, or even 75 reps of military presses with 10 lb dumb bells, will prepare you to press that 300 + lb log?

   So remember, build a foundation of strength, and then you can modify as needed.

Specifity + Frequent Practice = Success

  By that title I mean a little practice on a regular basis is going to help you achieve your goals. Obviously there's more involved,  including good instruction and obviously correct practice.


  Still, a little daily practice of a skill ( strength, speed, etc. ) will get you to where you want to be. It's much better to do a little bit of a skill daily than to do a lot once a week.


   Remember the example of  Marine Officer Greg Donahue ?  He trained to do 20 pull ups. He did it with daily practice. In fact he used this weeks title as a description for how he succeeded.


   I can attest to that. Among the things I've accomplished are faster times in running, underwater swimming, and most recently, and one of the toughest, is the 1 leg squat ( aka pistol ).

   Now some things can and should be altered on a regular basis. Speed particularly should be altered. By that I mean 1 day you could run 1/4 mile sprints, the next day 32 x 100 meter, etc. You get the idea.

   So skip the excuses and practice your skill daily for the goal you're trying to achieve , and if you keep it up you'll probably find yourself in the winners circle.

Why Intervals Are So Valuable

 We had a big meet this past weekend at the pool. Various age groups. And from 7 a.m. until whenever it would end. Ouch! For the record we'd end up getting out of there about 3 p.m.


  Of course I didn't know when it would end. And of course I have to get my workouts in. Due to the super early time running was out of the question unless I could get there at 6 a.m. to do sprints near the pool. Of course I could try to run in the neighborhood around 5! Yeah right!

   I decided to run in the night. I instead decided to focus on my strength skills. I would do intervals of push ups, pull ups, and kettle bell swings, using an interval format. We were up for 45:00, down for 15:00. On the first break I did 2 pull ups every minute for 10:00. We lucked out and got extra help so now we were up 45:00, down 45:00. Even better. So I did 5 push-ups every minute for 10:00, and did 10 kettle bell swings every minute for 20:00.

     If you add it up that's 20 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, and 200 swings . Except for the swings it wasn't  very aerobic in nature but it did definitely keep the muscles active.


      I hope you see how it's possible to get some workouts in when you're crunched for time. If you're really dedicated all it takes is a little planning and the right attitude . Just remember how interval training can really help.

Don't Be A Loser

  By that I mean don't let NBC's "The Biggest Loser" scare you off from exercise.

 What?! You mean Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper,etc. aren't helping? If you read my blog on a regular basis you probably know my opinion of these " get in shape " reality shows. These shows give a wrong example of working out, often with unrealistic ideas and goals ( "I want to lose 100 lbs in 3 months"). And the worst offender is "The Biggest Loser".


  In the show, Michaels and co. scream, threaten, spit, and bully obese people with often dangerous, poorly planned and poorly executed exercises. Such actions are praised by some "experts" as motivating people to exercise. Well guess what? This Canadian study proved otherwise. Read it.


  Basically students at the University of Alberta were shown a 7:00 clip from "The Biggest Loser". Those who saw that were turned off to working out. And get this, they were also shown a clip from "American Idol". They had a better impression of that!


 I remember the first Loser I saw. Michaels went to Cambridge, Ma. to "help" an obese family. Their father had in fact died from heart disease, etc. The mother and 2 or 3 kids were also obese. Michaels really went after the family, especially the mother. At one point she had the mother on a treadmill , going too fast. The mother couldn't keep up. Michaels ripped into her, calling her pathetic, disgraceful, etc. almost spitting in her face. The lady started to cry. Michaels calmed down a little, and claimed she was just trying to "help". "Help"?! Help like a hazing!


  In another episode the contestants were taken to the Marine boot camp in Camp Pendelton, Calif. The contestants were put through a boot camp style routine , including using heavy ruck sacks, going up steep hills,etc. Remember, these are deconditioned, obese people. These aren't Marine recruits or competitive athletes. Yet this is viewed as helpful ?!

  This is disgraceful. No ethical trainer would do this. I look at each individual as an individual. I look at their current health, previous athletic experience, as well as their goals. Obviously there's a difference between a totally obese person who needs to get in shape for general health versus a future Olympic athlete or a future SEAL. Their training will be radically different. But even these warriors don't need to be beaten up. They should be encouraged and motivated to work harder than others, even pushed to a point once in a while. But not torn apart. When you think about it, one of a fitness trainer's main jobs isn't so much to show how to exercise, although that's an important component, but rather to motivate a client to strive  to reach new heights.


  So don't be a loser and instead think and train like a winner.

2013...A New Year, A New You

  2012 is over, and if you're like most people you've got resolutions you've made for 2013. You know, "I want to give up smoking", "I want to be more organized", and probably the most popular "I want to get in shape".


  Since this is a fitness/performance driven blog we'll concentrate on the last one. At this time of year gym memberships spike, exercise equipment sales increase, and even vitamins and supplement sales shoot up.  Unfortunately they also all drop within a couple of weeks. I'll make some suggestions so you don't end up being among the many who didn't accomplish their goals.

  Notice I said goals, not resolutions. Because resolutions are known for failing it's better to think of goals which is something to look forward to, and which people are known for achieving.Also goals, most people understand, can take some time. And time is something you'll probably have to accept, depending on your goal.

  The nature of your goal will affect how long it takes. You have to have a realistic time frame. If you just want to lose 5 lbs of fat it probably won't take more than 1 1/2 months. Did you notice how much time I gave? You want to do it properly and safely. 5 lbs of fat shouldn't take that long but just in case.

  You should try to set a time for achieving your goal but if you didn't don't lose hope. Reevaluate what you did and where you might have gone wrong. That's why we gave extra time in the above example. Also take into account your smaller accomplishments. Maybe you're shooting for a 6:00 mile after 4 months of training but you didn't make it. You achieved a 6:15 mile. However look at the fact that originally you were at a 7:15 mile. You took 1:00 off. Also some of your smaller training sessions I'm sure produced some good results. Maybe you were able to run a 1/4 mile in 1:28, or a 1/2 mile in 2:59 at the track in your training. See, those are good times, and if you could hold that pace you'd accomplish your 6:00 mile. So, just keep up the work, trying to improve your v02 max ( your ability to maintain your anaerobic threshold ). I know about that because it happened to me, until I finally accomplished  it.

  There are some factors to consider. How much time do you have for training? If you have very limited time it's critical you focus and prioritize on what's most important. Similarly , do you have the necessary equipment and facilities. The best example I know is swimming. You can't swim in your bath tub and pools are only open limited hours. Even those of us who work at pools have to adjust our swim times to accommodate others. I can't swim during a meet or even when there are too many people in the pool ( high school season practice for example when we have 5 or 6 teams in the pool ). So if you get the time to swim use it and skip other things. You may have very limited time but you can still make progress.


  Another limiting factor might be any physical limitations, specifically injuries. If you're recovering from shoulder problems ( like me currently ) pressing motions like high rep push ups and heavy military presses are going to take quite a while.


  I'm not trying to discourage you. In fact quite the opposite. You can achieve your goals this year, but you should expect a long road ahead, not a quick thing.


  2 other factors are probably as important or maybe even more so. You must have a positive "  I can " attitude. Related to that is what you're willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals. Certainly,you'll have to sacrifice a lot of so called "comfort foods" ( candy, onion rings,etc. ) for proper nutrition. And life style changes will almost definitely have to happen. No more partying and beer until 5 a.m. every night. At least limit them, although eliminating them is even better. You'll find time is something you'll have to sacrifice. How much depends. If it's just to lose a few pounds or even lift a heavier weight you probably won't have to sacrifice hours upon hours. On the other hand training for the fire academy, military boot camp, or trying to win a 5k is going to take a lot of your time. This is where the attitude, will power comes in. Ask yourself " Is it worth it?"  Just think about standing in the winners circle. That'll tell you how much it's worth.

  I hope you 2012 was good for you. I certainly made some good accomplishments. Now let's make 2013 even more productive.

A Multi-Planar, Multi-Faceted Circuit

  Hey folks, I did this kettle bell circuit yesterday morning. I had to be at the pool by 8 a.m. and I didn't really have time  to work out at home, especially run. Fortunately this circuit took care of most things. It involved a little grip strength, strength endurance, explosiveness, speed, as well as aerobic and anaerobic work.


  I did lateral walking lunges, about 4-5 steps in 1 direction, then reversed it, then did 10 twisting swings, followed by 100 meter sprint. This workout also worked often neglected areas. The lateral lunges targeted the adductor muscles in the frontal plane, the inner thighs in this case, used for bringing our muscles back towards the body. The swings targeted the internal and external obliques ( "love handles" ) and transverse abdominals, working in the transverse plane. Finally, in the sagital plane, I got my run in by sprinting 100 meters. It wasn't a light jog, it was a good sprint. I took no rest between sets. The only rest was just getting set into position. I did this for a total of  32 sets. Yes, you read right, 32 sets. This circuit took 1:02:51. I tried to beat my previous time, which I did, granted by just :05 but so what. That's also a goal of this type of training.

 My only problem was I couldn't keep my elbows locked during the swings. Nevertheless, I think I maintained reasonable form. So, the next time you want to work out but you only have limited time, try this circuit. Adjust as needed for space and time. But go for it. No excuses.

Here's the video