Happy New Year everyone. I hope everyone had a great new year. Let's get 2019 off to a better year instead of just resolutions which most people often don't keep. One way is to look at what we achieved and didn't achieve in 2018 and then use it as a guide to improve us.
Look at your workouts. Did you stick with them and if not why?Was it because of illness or injuries? Were there other circumstances? I'm applying such critiques to myself.
In 2018 I certainly had ups and quite a few downs. My running has really gone down, mostly due to incredible stiffness , especially quads and hip flexors, which has blocked proper mechanics. These muscular imbalances have prevented the right muscles from firing ( glutes, hamstrings) . I was slowly starting to improve but hit major roadblocks with hamstring pulls as well as my right hip locking up. You may also have muscular imbalances which are preventing you from correct training and achieving your goals.
How do you fix it? There are corrective exercises such as exercises with bands or very light dumb bells. You could also use a foam roller as well as recovery activities like Yoga or Tai Chi Chuan. I've done some of those and they have helped although I won't lie, I haven't done them enough. You may want to consider professional help, such as massage therapy or a chiropractor as well as a coach in your specific activity.
One thing that'll really help is keeping a log of your training activities, either on line or paper. Take note of the factors such as energy levels, warm ups , weather,etc. Use that as a guide to see how you did , especially when you did very good or bad. What were your strong points and what were your weak points?
Keep training your strong points but definitely work on your weak points that are holding you back. I did that. While my running , as well as overhead pressing were weak I was able to improve my back and grip strength , especially towards pull ups. I finished 2018 on Saturday , December 29th setting a new personal best, 22 pull ups...barely!!
There were a few other reasonably good moments. The Murph Challenge on Memorial Day which I detailed in June. I also competed as usual in the Navy UDT/SEAL Museum 5 K. I didn't set any records. I was however able to finish without walking.
I also competed in my first Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5 K in Palm City. Again my goal was to run non stop which I did.
I've since had ups and downs as I mentioned but I'm not going to quit. I'm looking at what's working and what isn't, and what can help and what hinders. I'd also urge you to do the same and make 2019 a successful year!
Be sure to like and follow this blog and email me@mbrls2000@yahoo.com if you have any fitness questions you'd like me to answer.
I finally achieved a modified 1 arm chin up! I say modified because I used my opposite arm to stabilize my body as well as taking some weight off. Actually even though 1 arm was doing the majority of work the other arm was still involved , while not gripping the bar nevertheless the other arm was still contracting and extending at the same time. A true 1 arm chin up ( palms facing you) or 1 arm pull up ( palm facing away) would require the other arm to not be involved, hanging at the side or back,etc.
Don't get me wrong , this was no easy task! However a true 1 arm pull up ( I mean either way, palm facing or palm away) takes it to another level. I'm going to start to work on various drills to make it. Meantime let me give you a few tips. First and foremost you should be able to crank out 15 - 20 dead hang pull ups. This means no bicycling, kipping, swinging! And your chin has to clear the bar! So check out my post on how to improve your pull ups. Don't even think about 1 arm pull ups until you can hit those numbers in good form!
All the factors I mentioned in my post about pull ups apply here but even more so. Especially important is grip strength. So pay extra attention to your grip because it will definitely give out very quick here. Reverse curls and bicep curls will help some but minimally. Towel pull ups, which I've described in that pull up post All the other factors like body fat are of course very important here.
I'm not at a true 1 arm pull up yet but I've made a major step forward. So keep following me and I'll keep you updated.
This past Monday , May 28th was Memorial Day. We honor our men who made the ultimate sacrifice. And not just parades but also workouts, namely the Murph Challenge.
I've posted about them in the past but in case you forgot it's a 1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups , 300 squats and run 1 more mile ! And if you can , do it all with 20 lbs, a weighted vest or a ruck! I don't think I need to remind you but obviously this isn't a workout for beginners! You've been warned! This workout was named in honor of SEAL Lt./Medal of Honor recipient Michael Murphy, made famous in the movie Lone Survivor. This was a favorite workout of his. It's a total body workout and it can be done almost anywhere. He used to do this in Afghanistan.
This year I went to the National Navy UDT/SEAL Museum. The day started with a memorial service honoring the dead, including a speech from Gold Star father Dan Robinson whose son Heath was killed in Afghanistan in August 2011. I was also fortunate enough to meet the Murphy family. Truly heart felt.
After the services this year the museum held the Murph Challenge. We went in 5 different waves. I went in the last wave. Our run fortunately was from the museum on to the baseball field parallel , and did 3 laps and back to the museum so I could run barefoot. By the way, I used an old backpack with two 10 lb weight disks. But disaster struck. Literally on the first lap my backpack tore and the disks fell out! Lesson learned, next time make sure it's a sturdy military strength ruck or spend $ on a weighted vest!
That changed my plans. My original plan was to shuffle on the runs, then do 5 pull ups, 10 push ups and 15 squats in 20 sets for the workout part. As I've always said do it right. Unfortunately the overwhelming majority of people doing the challenge usually swing, bicycle or don't even get their chin over the bar. I refuse to do that. So I left the torn pack and weights behind and proceeded to use just body weight with good form high reps. It became 10 pull ups, 20 push ups and 30 squats in 10 sets. I won't lie, it became tougher and I had extra problems finishing the push ups because of my shoulder problems but I didn't quit. The time was 38:34! And then I ran the final mile in 8:25! I definitely "earned" my food for the day!
As I said earlier, this isn't a workout for beginners.But for serious athletes and especially those who want to join elite military units this is something to consider. First you should be able to do at least 10 body weight pull ups, 20 push ups and 25 squats. See my earlier post on pull ups. And while the post was about pull ups those principals can be applied to other high rep, body weight exercises for the most part. After you've reached those numbers you may then want to try doing the workout weighted. Obviously your reps will be much lower with many more sets and the runs will be more of a shuffle. And as my experience showed, get a sturdy back pack or better yet a weighted vest!
I want to thank the National Navy UDT/SEAL Museum for hosting another great day. And extra thanks to the Murphy family for taking the time to talk to me and pose for a picture. They truly represent the best of America. Your son is never forgotten.
Lt. Michael Murphy 5/07/76 - 6/28/05 RIP!
The Murphy family
My torn backpack!
The final set. Thank god!
If you have any fitness questions feel free to contact me @ mbrls2000@yahoo.com and be sure to like and follow this page.
Using your heart rate as a measure of fitness is used in various physical activities as a guide. While there may be a goal number the pulse itself isn't especially a goal but rather how it relates to your training. Let me explain.
Heart rate training is essentially a guide in your training much like other guides such as pace during swimming or amount of weight lifted. It's generally used to see your progress in your training. So how can it be used?
This type of training was first used by endurance athletes , especially tri athletes, but now it's used by many people for a variety of activities. Usually a person wears a heart rate monitor, either around the chest or the bicep. There are some watches that also measure your pulse as well as some machines have pulse measurements ( treadmills, bikes, rowers, elliptical) although they're usually not as accurate.
While monitoring your pulse is useful if you don't it's not the end of the world. And in some strength , anaerobic or low intensity activities, such as balancing on the bosu ball or push ups or even hitting the heavy bag all out for 3:00 ( 1 round) it really isn't useful to measure your pulse because the effort and the time spent is too short. Generally, it's best to do about 10:00 at least of moderate - high intensity activities non stop or almost non stop before measuring your pulse.
Pulse is also often used in the morning by many athletes to see if they've recovered from the previous day's workout & overall whether you're fitness is improving or not. Generally, almost first thing in the morning after you wake up you would take your pulse and hopefully your resting pulse will be relatively low.
In the past the formula for finding your maximum heart rate was 220 - your age but that has been shown to not really be accurate, partly due to genetics as well as differences in lifestyle. New methods for measuring your maximum pulse have been devised. Also important is zone training. These are the different percentages of your maximum pulse you want to train in depending on your goals. For most people training around 60 % of your maximum heart rate , building up to 85 + % near the end is a good idea. For advanced athletes, especially endurance athletes , you'd want to train occasionally around 85 % - 95 + % of your maximal heart rate for half an hour up to an hour. This is good for long distance runners, tri athletes,etc. Of course build up to it very carefully. And another important factor, is perceived training effort vs actual heart rate. This is very important for competitive athletes. Essentially how do you feel on a scale of 1 - 10? Can you maintain a conversation or are you gasping for air? Most of your training, regardless of whether you're a beginner or advanced, will be easy. However in order to improve your speed and performance, threshold training at very high race like intensity is a must. Obviously not every day but once or twice a week could provide great benefits. What type of threshold training you do will depend on your activity ( a runner might do track repeats, a swimmer might do laps,etc). For the general public high intensity intervals don't have to be running, it could be body weight or resistance exercises. Plyometric style workouts are an example .You get the idea. I'm not giving specific workouts in this post because that's not what this post is about. As I've said , it depends on your goals, activities and fitness level. And of course start slowly, especially if you're a beginner, build carefully and check with your doctor first.
As for devices there are millions out there. They range from cheap to very expensive so look at what you can afford. For triathletes , if you can afford it, consider Garmin , Apple & Polar. I personally use a Garmin 920 XT. It shows pace, heart rate, cadence,etc. For most people you can find cheaper sports watches that measure often through a fingertip pulse ( I had such a watch several years ago). Of course it won't be as accurate. Just see what your needs are.Another possibility before your workout and especially in the morning is a blood pressure monitor along with pulse measurement. Such devices measure your vitals with a strap around your brachial pulse ( bicep). Unfortunately obviously you can't work out with it on! And often times after a sweaty workout these machines may not give an accurate number. Or you could just use a simple wrist watch or clock after you're done or resting. With 2 fingers just press your radial pulse or carotid pulse. and count for anywhere from :10 - 1:00.
I hope this post has been helpful and will give you the info needed in order to improve your performance and reach your goals.
If you liked this post click like, subscribe and spread the word. And if you have a performance/fitness question feel free to email me at mbrls2000@yahoo.com.
As an NASM PES I try to start with me, leading by example. And that means improving my performance where I can. Even if it's just by a little bit.
One area I'm pretty good at is pull ups. And I finished 2017 with a new personal record of 21 reps! Yes I know it's just a 1 rep improvement but it's moving forward which is what we want. Whatever your activity ( running, overhead pressing, swimming,etc) I think any improvement , no matter how small, should be viewed positively.
I've written about how to train pull ups previously. The only new things I suppose I've done is once every week or two I'd push it with 10 reps per set, along with other exercises , averaging about 5:00 - 6:00 per set x 10 sets. Or once every week or two train to failure, like max out at 16 or 17, reps,then keep maxing out with minimal rest until I hit 50 reps.
I'd like to add these ideas can apply to most high rep exercises , like push ups, sit ups,etc, not just pull ups.
I hope everybody has a productive 2018, contact me with any training questions or suggestions at mbrls2000@yahoo.com. Be sure to like and follow.
Although most physical training is relatively simple and straightforwards some training depending on your goals as well as the difficulty of the activity may require getting a coach.
While many of you are already competitive athletes & already have coaches in your sport, others, especially tactical athletes ( military, first responders ) & just regular people may consider doing certain activities in order to improve your fitness.
2 examples include swimming & Olympic weight lifting. For example military swimmers & lifeguards obviously need to swim as part of your job. Would a coach help? If you're new to swimming or even mediocre you may want to consider a swim instructor or even joining a swim club for awhile until you bring your swimming skill up to necessary times ( BUD/S students at least 500 yards side stroke in under 12:30, US Lifesaving Assn. 500 meter freestyle stroke in under 10:00 ). But remember, competitive swimming is different from swimming on the job or even swimming just to stay in shape. In competitive swimming swimmers spend a lot of time doing swimming drills which everybody can benefit from but also things like learning to dive off blocks, swimming with pulleys, are totally unnecessary for most people. Also competitive swimmers compete in Speedo suits or even special swim suits meant to glide through the water easier. They also usually shave the hair off their body. While lifeguards & military swimmers have swim tests in regular swim suits or UDT shorts , which aren't too bad , they certainly aren't the same as laser suits ( in fact LZR suits as you see were banned after the 2008 Olympics ).Also in BUD/S you'll be swimming in the cold waters of Coronado, Calif. You'll want every advantage to stay warm & shaving your body hair definitely isn't going to help!
Olympic weight lifting is an even better example. The 2 lifts ( clean & jerk & snatch ) & their derivatives ( drills, partial pulls ) as well as the no longer used clean & press are definitely good for explosiveness, strength & overall fitness but they're also quite technical & also often require good mobility of ankles, hips & shoulders. While you could probably do these lifts at home you'd definitely be limited in terms of weight. Often times an empty 45 lb bar is all you may be able to handle safely. Certainly if you want to lift any significant weight safely, even body weight let alone double body weight a coach is an absolute must! And if you think that's over caution even a gold medal winner like Matthias Steiner can have an accident ! I should add if you don't have the time or money, you could train those lifts with kettle bells or dumb bells ( as a side note kettle bell competitions in fact contain the exact same Olympic lifts as well . But again choose between sport & training. ).
Boxing & martial arts are another example of differences between general fitness vs competition & skill. While you can get a reasonably good & safe workout shadow boxing or even on the heavy bag to become skilled, especially for competition ( boxing or UFC) & self defense to be good definitely requires guidance & instruction.
Gymnastics & diving are other examples of activities that definitely need a coach. Sometimes if you're having a problem even in a relatively easy activity like running or you want more detail to help you in something like Spartan Races or triathlons you may want to consider a coach.
I'm not trying to say that you need specialized coaching for all activities & especially for general strength & fitness or towards an athletic test , whether sport or job related. However as you've seen some activities are so technical & can be dangerous you have to consider the risks vs rewards. And if the risks are many or you want to compete in that sport that's when you almost definitely want to go to a coach.
I hope this post has been helpful.Good luck in 2018 achieving your goals. Remember to like & subscribe & if you have any questions please feel free to email me at mbrls2000@yahoo.com.
Keeping track of your training is important if you want to succeed in your athletic performance. This is true for everyone from beginners to the pros.
I thought of that recently after I finished my strength endurance workout. I had earlier in the morning done about 20:00 + of lunges & presses, then ran a moderately quick 1.6 mile rainy run. I then headed off to the pool but work was cancelled due to storms. So after taking care of a few errands, I returned home & started my strength endurance workout.
As usual pull ups were the focus of my work out. And as I mentioned in my earlier post on "How to Go From 0 - 20 Pull Ups" I try to get a minimum of 100 pull ups 3 - 5 days a week. Since I had time, I decided to push it & see if I could hold at 10 reps per set, completing 10 sets. Remember, 20 reps is my current max so this is obviously 50 % of my max.
Previously, I've stopped at 8 - 9 reps per set and this was very tough. But recently I've been able to hold 7 - 8 reps per set, including some difficult type pull ups like ledge pull ups & towel pull ups. So I thought maybe I could push it up to 10 regular pull ups per set.
Of course recovery between sets is another factor. And remember, to achieve maximum fitness & athletic performance it's best to do active recovery, in circuit form, activities which work other muscles . So in this case I chose to do 15 push ups, 25 lower back Superman exercise, 25 abs ( leg raises or flutter kicks,etc) & 5 one leg squats. Each set averaged 6:00 - 7:00 per set! One of the main reasons was maintaining balance in the one leg squats. This workout combined mostly strength endurance for high reps ( pull ups, push ups,lower back & abs) but also included maximal strength & balance ( the one leg squats ). But you get the point.
It took me an 1:11:00 + but I achieved what I wanted, holding 10 pull ups per set. Compared to just a couple of recent months ago I improved. And this is why it's important to keep track of your workouts.
The same thing I found out about my running. As I mentioned in my post on Accomplishments, in January & February I had a terrible half marathon & full marathon. However I started to work on my speed again, doing shorter races . My goal has been in both training & races to get my miles under 9:00, and at the last mile a sub 8:00 pace as well as when I do track work ( quarter miles, half miles ). Well, in the last few months I've been able to get miles in the sub 9:00 in medium distances ( 2 - 6 miles) , & yes getting my last mile in under 8:00. I've also been able to get quarters & halves on the track in the sub 8:00 pace. Again, compared to a few months ago a definite improvement. You see what I'm saying.
When you keep track of your workouts it's a good idea to make notes about the variables. As I mentioned earlier when I did 10 pull ups per set I was active but I was also averaging 6:00 - 7:00 per set. In the future if I can do 10 pull ups in 5:00 or even 4:00 per set I can see my recovery time has decreased. Or in the case of running, using my Garmin GPS watch, I've been able to see my stride rate & stride length greatly increase in fast miles. This type of feedback can tell you what can help you & where you need to work on.
There are many websites & apps , some free, that can keep track of your workouts. For endurance athletes especially ( running, swimming, biking) ,you may want to consider something like GPS apps like Garmin or Polar which as I mentioned track your pace, cadence, heart rate,etc. They also usually allow you to make notes about your workouts. There are other factors which can affect your activity. When running for example, take in to account whether it was windy, was it hot? When running on the beach there are more factors such as whether it was soft sand or firm sand as well as were there lots of shells on the beach, was it slanted,etc?
I should add while these GPS watches have all these features they definitely aren't cheap! And as a beginner you certainly don't need to buy those. A simple stop watch is more than enough. And for strength athletes/activities ( Olympic lifting, body weight exercises, boxers,etc) a GPS watch is definitely not needed. Even for those who do endurance activities as part of your training/job ( military, first responders, obstacle race challenge athletes,etc ) a notebook is probably good enough unless you can afford it. However for endurance athletes as you improve, you may want to consider investing in one of these GPS watches. They are a definite plus in endurance training.
So start keeping track of your workouts, along with all the variables around them, & use these to improve your performance & achieve new heights.
In order to make improvements in your overall fitness & athletic performance you may want to consider multiple workouts in a day.
Obviously this isn't for everybody. If your schedule doesn't allow it ( very long work hours,classes,traveling time, etc) don't worry. Just do what you can in the time you have, prioritizing.
However if you do have the time this is something you should consider. Especially for serious/multi activity athletes ( swimmers,boxers,triathletes, military/first responders ,etc) this is a good way to improve your performance.
Other benefits include improved activity performance , whether strength or endurance. Also you can get more work in. For runners this means more miles, for swimmers more meters, or if you're trying to increase your push ups or pull ups clearly two workouts will allow you to get more reps/miles,etc than just one. In fact kettle bell expert Pavel Tsatsouline described this "greasing the groove" method in his book " The Naked Warrior" , having people do pull ups every time they passed a pull up bar! You get the idea.The benefits are clearly there. Of course there are a few factors to consider.
One thing to consider is your level of fitness. Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced? Obviously if you're a beginner you need to proceed carefully. Start slowly, maybe just one or two doubles a week , increasing the number as your fitness improves. Another thing to consider is your type of activity. Is it a single activity ( track, swimming,etc) or multiple activities ( triathletes, tactical athletes )? Also, if it is a single activity is it skill based, anaerobic ( Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, 100 meter dash) or longer & aerobic ( long distance running ). Some activities are a mix. Examples include boxing, wrestling, 400 meter free style swimming. Recovery time plays another important factor. For example ,anaerobic skill based Olympic lifting requires short workouts & at least a couple of hours between workouts, & that's for top Olympic lifters. Generally 6 - 8 hours is good for most people, regardless of skill & activity. Also make sure you're eating good, nutritious food & staying very well hydrated.
Next, & this can be tough, is planning your day. For most athletes ( except for people like gymnasts, Olympic lifters) they can benefit from mixing up activities like aerobic work in one work out & actual activity work or strength in the evening. So for example a boxer could run a few miles in the morning & maybe even do some exercises like push ups & pull ups if there's time, then in the evening he could do his boxing related work ( bag work, sparring,etc ). You can adjust your workouts as needed ( work or school schedule, equipment,etc). Just make sure you're rested and ready for your next workout.
I hope you found this insightful & of course I hope it improves your performance. So give it a try & let me know how things turn out. Like & follow me for more useful training info. See you next time.
They had us in teams of 2 in 3 different categories, advanced, intermediate & just for fun. I was realistic & chose just for fun. Some of the obstacles had me & my teammate jumping rope 200 times while my partner did lateral hops over a small hurdle, flipping a tire back & forth down a field, dragging a tire , medicine ball throws, rope climbing, swimming out to a boat with an oar , carrying a "victim" ( a 60 lb sandbag) on a stretcher down the beach , over a wall, & back, log lifts, paintball target shots. Being based on SEAL training there were also mind games , such as moving weight disks of different sizes around in correct order , 1 at a time. The final challenge was alternating sets of push press/thrusters with pull ups. Whew!
While this obstacle course challenge was more geared towards SEAL training there are basic similarities between most obstacle challenges ( Battle Frog,Spartan, Ninja Warrior,Cross fit Games,etc). Most consist of some jumping, pulling, short runs, carrying objects, maybe some overhead pressing or throwing of objects. They may also be in tough terrain ( mud, soft sand, hills,etc). Some , like this one, may involve swimming. The main thing is all consist of moving from one activity to another with almost no rest.
Aside from tri athelons, most of these obstacle races often involve using anaerobic energy over an extended time. For example,in one of our early activities we flipped a tire down a field for about 30 meters, then went back the same direction flipping the tire. Our last activity was alternating 3 sets of push presses/thrusters, 65 lbs in our case & pull ups in reps of 21, 15, 9.
As you can see these obstacle challenges aren't for total beginners or people who are deconditioned. However this is something that you as a beginner can use to motivate yourself to train for , something to look forward to ( see my last post on motivation). Intermediate & advanced athletes will find this fun but definitely challenging. I should add, if this is your first obstacle challenge ,even intermediate & advanced athletes may want to consider entering as a beginner if your race allows it. Unless you know all or most of the challenges, & you're 100 % healthy, you're setting yourself up for possible failure. This is what I meant when I talked about finding your weak points & being realistic. Advanced teams were required to do all events. And they had much stricter standards. For example the weight they had to press was much heavier & more reps, they had to dive down to retrieve an object from the bottom of the ocean floor , during high tide & much lower time standards. Obviously in my case I knew because of shoulder problems as well as limited explosiveness, I should enter as a beginner. Currently I can only strictly press an empty 45 lb bar, & only for a few reps. As mentioned earlier, we had overhead presses a few times in the challenge, first on the beach & later at the museum. But because we were beginners , on the beach we allowed to lift 45 lbs, certainly relatively light. And even then I still had to push press. And even worse was a medicine ball press/throw over a pull up bar to my teammate. By the way, this wasn't some firm 5 lb or even 10 lb ball but rather a soft but pretty big medicine ball used for wall throws, thrown over at least a 10 foot bar. Even using my legs, I had a very hard time getting the ball over the bar. Fortunately event organizers allowed our team to do horizontal chest passes to each other. Another event had us jump on & off a big tire. I could only do 1 jump so they let me do step ups. Obviously, I'll have to work on my explosiveness. On the other hand because of my grip & pulling strength I was able to climb a rope & easily handled the pull ups. I should add they expected 6 climbs up the rope , with no rest! However for times sake they let me go with 1. And my teammate's pull ups also counted towards our teams total reps & scores. This is another part of many obstacle races, working in a team. This can help when one of you has a weakness the other team mate can help out. You see what I'm saying about these obstacle races.
I should say, for those of you who are advanced, & especially those of you who want to do "real" challenges ( elite military training, first responder academy,etc) these races are something you may want to consider. The longer the better. Many of them, especially Battle Frog & those hosted by the National Navy/UDT SEAL Museum, are based directly on actual military training. Of course there are major differences, the main thing being these challenges are just a few hours. In the "real deal " ( BUD/S, Air Force PJ Pipeline,Police SWAT/Fire Rescue Academy,etc) you'll be doing these challenges almost all day , 5 - 6 days a week, possibly for several months! However if these are your ultimate goals these challenges are something you should consider trying so as to give you a taste of what to expect, over a long term.
So what should you do to prepare? Basically have a good basic fitness base. This means stabilization & strength which can be developed first through heavy strength exercises & low reps ( squats, overhead presses, dead lifts, maybe balance board training,1 arm 1 leg exercises ,etc). After awhile move on to high rep body weight exercises ( push ups, especially pull ups,etc). Pulling power & grip strength as I've said will be quite important. In almost all of these races there are usually walls to climb over or ropes to climb up. Remember the SEAL Museum Bridge Challenge? We climbed up a 70 foot caving ladder, with a ( fake ) MP 5 strapped to us.Even going down taxed our grip & biceps. Most of these races also usually will have you carry objects for some distance. The farmers walk, walking with an object like a kettle bell, at your side will test your grip & even core strength. This can be developed first through lifting/pulling heavy weight up like the heavy dead lifts ( which can also help with tire flipping),carrying objects ( the Farmers Walk) & very important, working on pulling your body weight which can be developed through high rep pull ups. If you have access, try & climb up ropes. Another major activity in some, but not all of theses races, involves jumping. Either jumping up & down on to an object or jumping over 1 or multiple objects. This will require basic leg strength developed by heavy squats & low reps & then followed by explosive strength which can be developed through plyometric (jump) training. Something I'm working on Of course train carefully, start small & avoid injury. Trust me, I know about that!
Mix up your training to include aerobic & anaerobic training. Your cardio respiratory system will be tested. Short intense bursts spread out over half an hour are a bare minimum to train. Examples might include 50 yard sprints followed immediately by plyometrics ( burpees, jump squats,etc) followed by snatches or push presses ( weights, dumb bells or kettlebells) then sprint back, doing this for several sets with almost no rest.Other areas you may want to train in depending on your race include swimming & training in similar outdoor terrain ( mud, sand,etc). Basically you want to become comfortable being uncomfortable!
This is just a partial list but hopefully this advice will help you conquer as many obstacles as possible. Now go out there & conquer this challenge!
Special thanks to the National Navy UDT/SEAL Museum for hosting , as usual, another incredible event. Obviously thanks to Randall Greer & the crew from Hard Exercise Works Jupiter for putting this incredible event together. And an extra special thanks to my team mate, in team Kick Ass, Richard Moseley. You really helped me get through some tough spots with your shoulder strength, explosiveness & marksmanship! I couldn't have done it without you!
It's late early March as I write this. How many of you have kept up your training? I thought so!
Although this post is oriented more towards beginners even advanced athletes can lose motivation and benefit from the suggestions I'm going to make.
The majority of beginners who quit are usually the type who've made New Years resolutions. Often times they look for easy solutions, quick fixes. Examples include so called starvation, miracle diets (Grapefruit, Nutri- System,etc), diet pills( green coffee bean extract, Garcinia Cambogia,etc), drugs ( HCG), exercise fads ( Biggest Loser). Some even go for surgery! Unfortunately almost all of them end up in failure.
The first thing is to realize is there's no quick fix, no magic bullet. Next , what were you trying to achieve? Things like getting in shape for a wedding, a class reunion, a doctor's visit, and worst of all New Years Resolutions almost always end up in failure. Those are too short term and require unrealistic training. Instead think of a lifestyle change. For example, instead of reaching for ice cream when you feel depressed get up and do a few sets of push ups or presses,etc. If you've been following me, as I've mentioned, I've changed my life dramatically. Instead of counting how much I smoke, nowadays ( 16 years & counting) I count how many gallons of water I drink.
Another thing that goes with a lifestyle change is aiming for new heights. That's why I hate when I hear people say "What's the point of doing 20 pull ups, running a 7:00 mile, dead lifting double body weight,etc?" I can see they're being unnecessarily contrary and they're setting themselves up for failure. I mean why do anything? The feeling of accomplishment is an incredible feeling. In fact, attempting to accomplish something is a major reason to stick to a plan and not give up. While most of us won't become professional athletes we can become competitive people. Maybe finishing a marathon, completing an adventure race, etc. These clearly require a lifestyle change. Obviously junk food, smoking,etc are incompatible with such goals. And for more advanced guys, maybe you want a faster mile or heavier military press as well as maybe you've got wrestling finals coming up or a military test coming up. These clearly require you to stay "clean" and stick to your training plan.
Some of us have come off bad losses maybe. I know, I've been there. In fact my last marathon in February was terrible! I'll go in to more detail in the future. Long story short, I barely made it in 5:30:00. I however haven't stopped training. Instead I'm still running, strength training, eating right,etc. I have however changed my focus, concentrating more on shorter distances and faster speeds a couple of times a week. In fact the following week I ran a 10 K in okay time. In fact each mile was faster than the last, the last 3 miles under 9:00 and the last mile was 7:55. I didn't place but you see what I'm saying. It was a small personal victory but nevertheless a victory. It felt good. I came back doing the best I could.And you can come back. Maybe you'll need to delay your big goal and focus on smaller things. In my case, qualifying for the Boston Marathon is going to have to wait. I'm still doing long distance running but I'm focusing more on 5 K's and 10 K's, maybe even a half marathon. Also you may want to step back and choose easier activities in your training or easier competitions.For example I chose the Fleet Feet Run For Your Heart 10 K, partly because it's a very flat course. A hilly course would probably have had a very different result. Obviously your activities are probably different but the point is the same. See where you're weak, work on those areas, and continue to improve your strengths and eventually you'll rebound.
I hope everyone, beginners and advanced athletes, will think about these things when they feel like giving up. I especially hope beginners will think beyond New Years resolutions or even blood sugar tests and think about the long term possibilities. Think about what you might be able to achieve. Advanced athletes, don't let bad times stop you from working to improve your future performance. Like most topics I write about here , I've personally gone through my ups and downs. However I've been able to overcome these bad times , for the most part. I'll let you know how things go throughout the year. And please let me know how your year goes. Like and follow this blog, and let me know any training questions you may have.
One of the best, and toughest, measures of upper body strength are pull ups. Especially for many military and first responders, pull ups are often part of your test. For SEAL students 20 pull ups is a definite minimum and for Marines , 20 pull ups is part of a perfect score on fitness tests. The Presidents Council on Fitness test in schools, at least used to, also test pull ups. They involve so many muscles, latissimus especially or biceps, forearms, abs, lower back and glutes. Grip strength plays a vital part, and you're lifting your body weight up. Good, honest pull ups work almost everything but your triceps.And even from a cosmetic point of view, pull ups are one of the best back exercises, which in combination with a lean waistline, will really add to that v shaped back look. Unfortunately most people , including men, can barely do even 1.
Seriously, look around in gyms , magazine articles and social media and you'll see numerous articles about how to build big arms or lose weight,etc. Some of those articles are okay but rarely will you see anything describing how to max your pull ups. The fact is pull ups are tough, even 1, let alone 20 reps. I understand because I've been there but like much of my training I tested what worked & what didn't. And now I'll show you how to do pull ups, going from 0 up to 20. So let's get started.
First remember, when we say pull ups, the term usually refers to palms facing away from the body. These tend to work the latissimus more. With the palms facing you usually is called chin ups and the biceps are the main movers.Most tests usually involve the traditional back pull up. This is also tougher unfortunately so prepare accordingly. Next thing is what qualifies as a pull up. When we say pull up we mean hanging from the bar at full extension , then pulling your body up until your chin clears the bar, then letting yourself down. Form is a big problem, with many guys swinging, kipping , or bicycling their way up. Sorry guys, that doesn't count. You want to use strength, not momentum.
Also some of these so called supplemental exercises unfortunately won't help you. By that I mean exercises like rows, dead lifts, curls,etc. You're pulling weight up, although at least with dead lifts you're also strengthening your grip.Worst of all are machine pull downs. Again, in this case you're pulling weight down. In a pull up you're pulling your body weight up, You'll get better at pull ups by doing pull ups.
So the first thing is to see how many pull ups you can do. If you can't do even 1 start with upside down rowing. Either use a weight lifting bench with a bar or a couple of chairs with a strong bar across them, lie down and pull your body up , contracting your lats pulling your elbows back. This is a very short range of motion so you should be able to handle this. After awhile, move to the pull up bar and work on negatives. Using a chair or a friend to help you get your chin over the bar, hold yourself there, then let yourself down on a 5 count or even a 10 count. I mean count to yourself , one one thousand , two one thousand,etc. Trust me, this will help strengthen your lats and grip. Rest, then do a few more reps. After awhile you should be able to do 1 or more reps.
Keep doing this as often as possible. Every day if you can. Build up. You want to train your central nervous system and get your body used to pull ups done correctly.After a couple of weeks, at a point in the day when you're feeling energetic, test yourself and see how many pull ups you can do. Use that number as a guide. I would recommend doing half of your maximum reps on a regular basis, usually as part of a circuit. So if your max is 4 pull ups you'd do 2 pull ups per set, alternating that with 1 or 2 other exercises, definitely other body parts, i.e, push ups, abs,etc. You want to train frequently but not to failure every time. So definitely do pull ups 5 - 6 days per week but don't max out every day. That'll just burn out your central nervous system and teach you to fail. Another way to train frequently yet stay strong is do half or 60 % of your maximum pull ups through out the day. Kettle bell expert Pavel Tsatsouline popularized this method, his " grease the groove" method in his book "The Naked Warrior" where he described helping his father in law improve his pull ups. This is also a time saving method for those days when you don't have an hour or more to devote to a circuit work out. You could also do a set of pull ups every day at regular intervals, say every hour or couple of hours, or maybe once in the morning, once in the evening. Pavel in fact put a pull up bar in his father in law's basement and every time his father in law went to the basement he'd do a set, in his case 5 pull ups. In the beginning, since I have a pull up bar on my doorway, I myself would do a set, from 1 - 5 reps, every time I entered the room!
Every couple of weeks take a couple of days off from pull ups , but not exercising, and then again, when you're feeling energetic, try to do your all out max. See what your total is. Keep this training up until you get to 10 reps. Once you're at 10 , you'll have to do circuit style, trying to up your reps more often. I don't mean fail but try to get 1 more rep per set each month. So if you were doing 5 reps per set the previous month try to do 6 reps per set the following month. In addition, I would recommend adding weight to your pull ups. You could use a dumbbell or a kettle bell hanging from your legs or wrapped around a belt or in a backpack, or a weighted vest. Once a week is enough. Again, start small, say with 5 - 10 lbs, and try to build up from 1 - 5 + reps. One popular weighted circuit, and very tough, is the Murph workout. I've described the Murph Challenge before. Named in honor of SEAL Lt./ Medal of Honor recipient Mike Murphy, this is a weighted workout consisting of a 1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats and another 1 mile run. Easy, right?! Obviously this is a workout you only want to do occasionally. Another similar but slightly different option is , again to do a circuit workout with heavy weighted pull ups and alternate them with other exercises. In fact, once a week, I've done weighted pull ups, with 25 lbs, then 30 lbs, and now 35 + lbs ( I'm using a 16 kilo kettle bell ) but low reps, basically 1 - 3 reps per set depending on the weight , alternating them with 1 arm 1 leg dead lifts with a dumb bell or kettle bell swings and sometimes throw in 1 leg squats, again with a dumb bell. Depending on how much time I have, I do anywhere from 15 - 20 sets. Even though the total reps are low , 20 - 60, the heavier weight requires more strength and will help you get more reps when it's just your body weight. One other good thing about weighted pull ups is, for you guys who want to head off to BUD/S , this will prepare you where you'll have to do your pull ups wearing boots and pants and belt, not shorts and nothing else. The boots may not seem like much but it will add a little extra and every extra bit of weight will slow you down so be prepared.
Once a week, I also did my pull ups going up at normal pace, then held for a second, but let myself down on a 5 count. I described this earlier, for beginners but even advanced guys can benefit from this slow, eccentric training. Obviously total reps per set were less, in my case building from 2 reps up to 5 - 6 reps per set, again alternating them with other exercises, usually for 20 sets. Recently I've also slowed down the concentric phase, the up part, going :05 up, hold, :05 or even more on the last rep down. Again, this type of training will help increase you max.
I also recommend changing your grip every now and then. Examples include very narrow grip, bicep pull ups, mountain climber pull ups. These will work different muscles, training various neural pathways helping your overall training as well as breaking things up.
Avoid extra wide grip or behind the neck pull ups because they can cause shoulder problems and don't really help you with getting more reps. Besides the latissimus muscles, a strong grip is required for all types of pull ups, especially multiple reps. One of the best types of training pull ups is towel pull ups. Shown to me by a friend, using moderately small hand or dish towels hanging from a pull up bar, this works not just wrist and forearm strength but also your biceps and core. This is truly a full body exercise, something which I keep emphasizing, as opposed to isolation.Again, don't keep a wide grip. In fact sometimes you may want to keep your hands less than shoulder width. And obviously you won't be able to do as many reps as regular reps.Nor will you be able to get your chin over the bar in most cases because of the height difference. Don't worry, just keep building up every week.
Another way to use towels to improve your grip is to wrap the towels around the bar. This will really challenge your grip, depending on how thick you've wrapped it.Hanging on to the bar could be tough. Again, you'll probably be limited on the number of reps you can do. By the way, one problem I've found is sometimes the towels can come apart. You may want to consider taping the towels or maybe a sponge around the bar.
Another different pull up is ledge pull ups. Essentially you're using only your fingers to grip. Sometimes , depending on the size of the ledge, you may be using only the first digits of your fingers. Again you'll definitely do less reps but it'll force you to work more muscles, and it'll help you get a feel as to perform when you're tired and your grip starts to go . You end up literally hanging from the pull up bar by your fingers for the last 2 or 3 reps. These type of pull ups are also a great intro exercise for rock climbing and some obstacles in the military and obstacle races ( Ninja Warriors "Ultimate Cliff Hanger ").
Keep training regularly, at least 5 - 6 days a week. Again, preferably, in circuit form with high volume ( multiple sets ) and sub maximal reps, about 25 % - 60 % of your maximum reps.But notice I'm mixing it up, each day. For example Monday maybe regular pull ups, Tuesday weighted pull ups, Wednesday towel pull ups, etc. You get the idea. Ideally, at this point, I'd suggest you try to get 100 reps at least 3 - 4 days a week , sometimes even more. Maybe pull up circuits twice a day. There were days when I did 200 pull ups in a day, maybe 100 towel pull ups in the morning and 100 slow pull ups or bicep pull ups at night.Is this a lot of work? You bet! I guess the question is, how much do you want it? Anything worth achieving takes effort, especially major accomplishment's. Champion athletes spend hours daily training in their various disciplines. And for those of you who want to go on to military special ops this is just a sample of what to expect ( don't forget the runs and swims ).
Another work out to do once a week is interval style pull ups. This is another time saving workout. I did this , basically going from 1 pull up per minute up to now 5 pull ups per minute, grabbing the bar on the minute, x 20:00. Think about it, that's 100 pull ups in 20:00. Relax between each set, shaking it off or as I do now, I use that time to do a few jumps or a 1 leg squat. This is also a way to do weighted pull ups although your reps per minute and thus your total reps will be relatively low.
Another circuit style workout you could do once a week, which I first saw by fitness trainer/retired SEAL Stew Smith is the pyramid system. Do 1 pull up, rest or better yet do another exercise or 2 , maybe 2 push ups and 5 leg raises, then 2 pull ups, 4 push ups and 10 leg raises. Keep increasing your pull ups by 1 rep each step up this pyramid 3,4,56,7,8,9 until you get to 10 pull ups, then go down the pyramid working your way back down from 9 pull ups,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.Do this with the other exercises, doubling your exercises.If you followed this style, you'd end up with 100 pull ups, 200 push ups and 500 leg raises in your workout. Or just do one other exercise in between each pull up, shake it off and go on to the next pull up. Either way, you see how much work you can get done using the pyramid system.
At this point in your training , once a week do a max/burnout pull up workout. Do your pull ups until you fail, then depending on time constraints, either do other exercises like push ups or any ab exercise, also preferably to failure or at least 90 % of your maximum, then repeat , for a total of 2 - 5 sets/rounds. Or if you're short on time after your first fail, rest a bit and jump back on the bar and go to failure again, and do this for whatever time you have. You could also do this once a week with your towel pull ups or your weighted pull ups, especially the last set. This seems to contradict what I said earlier about not training to failure. But if you want to up your numbers and set a new personal record at least a couple of times a month, or better yet once a week you should give it your all without taking time off. By the way, this type of burn out/low rest training is more suited for high rep/strength endurance than short, maximal effort, like Olympic lifts or sprints.I myself started doing this burnout style once a week when I was stuck at 13 - 15, sometimes maybe 17 max reps. And this was after even taking off a couple of days. But then I started doing max/burn out style workouts once a week and I could see the difference.Without taking time off I started to max/burn out at 15 - 17 reps .After a few months I would take a few days off before trying to "test" my max. On January 1, 2016 for the first time in my life I hit 20 reps! Barely! But nevertheless I did it!Finally! Notice I said only once a week you should do this burnout training and remember you should take a couple of days off before your test in order to recover.
There are a couple of other factors that can make a difference. As I mentioned earlier, grip strength is a very important factor. That's usually the first thing that goes. The list of grip exercises is an entirely long article itself. One exercise that'll help, as I mentioned earlier, are towel pull ups. You're practicing pull ups while simultaneously strengthening your grip along with other muscles, especially the core. One of the better non pull up exercises, is the farmer's walk. Essentially you walk a set distance holding a kettle bell or heavy dumb bell or other heavy object at your side. Also holding a kettle bell upside down by the handle, in the bottoms up grip, is another excellent grip strengthening exercise. In fact, if you want more bang for your buck, do various exercises like lunges and especially overhead presses with the bottoms up grip.
Speaking of grip I'd suggest you put tape around the pull up bar. Sports grip tape or medical wrap tape should work. After awhile, especially on hot days, your palms will be sweaty, causing your grip to go. Avoid weight lifting gloves as they're not allowed in most tests. Chalk is okay.
Another important factor is your weight/body fat. Obviously, the more you weigh the more extra weight you'll have to pull. Losing fat will definitely help you get more reps. Again, losing fat is an entire article in itself which I can do in the future. For the time being, all I'll say is watch what you eat and keep working out, especially cardiovascular workouts ( running, swimming,etc) in addition to your strength training. By the way, that's another good thing about these pull up circuits. By moving from one exercise to the next without rest you're keeping your heart rate up and thus burning calories.
Finally, let's focus on form. Remember, no kipping, no bicycling,no swinging, use strength. As I said earlier, with your palms facing away from you, grip the bar firmly, really focus on contracting your lats , bringing your elbows down as your body rises, thinking about bringing your neck or even your chest to the bar and bring your chin over the bar.
You may want to arch your back,looking up, leaning back as you pull your body up. Going straight up is okay but will make it unnecessarily difficult, especially during a test. Leaning back and looking up will also help put emphasis on your lats. Also, crossing your legs, will help prevent you from using momentum as well and may be necessary if there's not much space between your feet and the ground. As for tempo, in most of your training except for special slow training, do your pull ups at normal speed without swinging , fully contracting so your chin is over the bar, pause very briefly at the top, let yourself down at normal speed to full extension so your head is below your elbows. I will add be careful not to hyper extend as that can cause or aggravate existing shoulder and elbow problems. Trust me, I know! In fact, letting yourself down too fast can cause hyper extension so let yourself down carefully.
Of course in a test you don't want to go slow which will make it unnecessarily difficult. Just go at a quick tempo up without swinging, barely pausing as your chin clears the bar, and let gravity take you down , carefully, and go again. Avoid resting at the bottom. Of course as you saw, after several reps you'll have to rest, catching your breath, recovering. That's okay. Just don't jump off the bar. That's when the test is over.
If it seems like I think pull ups are a great exercise, the answer is , well, yes! As I've pointed out, numerous military and first responder tests , as well as obstacle style races ( Ninja Warrior, SEAL Museum Bridge Challenge, Spartan,etc.) require them. They are a first step to prepare you for climbing things like caving ladders , walls and ropes. And as I've pointed out, from a cosmetic point of view, all the different types of pull ups can directly work so many muscles in the upper body. The lats, forearms, biceps, and even the hard to get serratus and intercostals can really pop out.
How often should you test yourself? For most people, once every month or 2 months is enough. For those of you who want to go to BUD/S, PJ pipeline,etc definitely test yourself every month. I hope this post will help those of you reading this. Like most things I talk about in this blog I can back it up from experience. And hopefully you'll also make it. Follow my advice and you too can go from 0 to 20.Hopefully you found this post informative.Like and follow me as well as my YouTube channel and if you have any questions feel free to email me at mbrls2000@yahoo.com or gofitfl@gmail.com. And please let me know how your progress is going and when you get to 20.Now go for it!
Well, another SEAL Museum Muster 5 K done. It was held Saturday morning, Nov. 5th, 7 am.
And like all previous races it was tough. No surprise !
Actually, in terms of tides, it was actually low tide this year so that was a plus. Unfortunately due to the time change the sun still hadn't risen so it was still kind of dark. On the beach that can be a problem due to lack of visibility and potentially dangerous objects on the beach ( shells, needles, jelly fish,etc) . But the biggest problem was the weather. It was a gusty North East wind. Because of the East winds , especially those brought on by Hurricane Matthew, for the last few weeks there have been big swells washing ashore, even at low tide. The North wind caused some real problems.
As usual we started on the top soft sand, near the South lifeguard tower. I didn't get much of a warm up other than a few squats and jogging in place but oh well.As soon as the cannon went off immediately everyone ran down to the shoreline and ran South towards the Inlet Park where we had to run up a bit in to the soft sand for the turnaround, and headed back. Probably a little after the last condo we had to come back up to the top sand and run back over the start/finish line.
A few things. One is obviously if you race on the beach try to get to the shoreline immediately. Especially if it's low tide. But even at high tide usually you can find a somewhat firm spot between the shore and the top. That area will usually be slightly dark. Also try to find flat ground. Unfortunately beaches can often be slanted so make the best of it. Very important, avoid the soft sand. Even the best runners will struggle with pace for any duration in the soft sand. The exception , which is even worse, would be high tide with a mushy , quicksand style shoreline. In those situations you're calves will literally be sinking in to the mush. You'll have to find the firmest area, which unfortunately may be the top soft sand. Wherever you can, try to surge to make up for lost time.
As far as training, obviously you should be a reasonably good runner with regular training under your belt before you consider a beach race. Especially for a 5 K, besides non stop, steady state runs I'd urge interval training ( quarters, halves, etc) at least once a week. If you want to do good, you'll have to push yourself. Your anaerobic threshold levels will be tested! I myself had to limit such training due to a hamstring pull in late July. Unfortunately only in the last couple of weeks was I able to put sprinting back in to my training, and even then it was limited so as to avoid re injury. Not making excuses but I honestly believe I could have at least finished under 24:00, at best maybe Masters division.
As far as terrain, if you live near a beach, take advantage of it. Train in soft sand every now and then. Your lower legs, especially Achilles and calves, will get a great workout. Short - medium distance sprints are challenging but worth it. A great sprint workout is running from the dune or lifeguard tower down to the shore and back. Even a long run in the soft sand once in awhile can be productive. Just don't expect a fast pace. For faster times run at low tide on hard , packed , as flat as possible sand by the shoreline. Depending on the weather and the beach it may actually seem like a track.
I'm not going to talk too much about stride since that often varies from person to person. I personally have been running with a mid/forefoot stride for the last several years. Some of that actually came about because of running on the beach. In soft sand you'll have to push your toes in to the sand. A good rule is to have your feet land underneath your hips. But don't change your stride if you're running injury free and running fast.
Another thing to consider is footwear, or lack of. On the beach, barefoot running definitely has it's advantages. Besides the obvious lack of weight, another advantage will be not soaking your sneakers and having them bog you down. I've actually seen that happen, and in fact it happened to a friend of mine who's sneakers got splashed by waves , pushing him from first place to third place. On the other hand, a plus will be not worrying about sharp objects as I mentioned earlier. In fact that could help you , as you'll be able to run over shells and even sea weed. Probably a light weight, minimalist sneaker would be a good idea if you wanted to wear shoes.
For those of you who want a challenge, or especially those of you wanting to head off to Coronado and do the real thing ( BUDS) I would urge you to run in boots , at least once a week. It'll take extra effort for sure , especially in the sand but if you want to succeed it's best to get used to this. And even regular athletes will feel the difference when you go back to light weight shoes or barefoot. In fact a few fighters , Bruce Lee, Marvelous Marvin Hagler & Roy Jones Jr. used to run in boots. Just proceed with caution because boots definitely affect your stride. Like everything else, work gradually in to it.
I want to thank the following people. Obviously the National Navy UDT/SEAL Museum for putting on this race as well as the other events in this years Muster. I love it every year. A great way to honor our veterans. I also want to thank St. Lucie Ocean Rescue for setting up the course and keeping us safe. Mike Melton immediately posted the times, accurately.
For running advice, especially on the beach, check out stewsmith.com, Brad Mcleod's SEAL Grinder PT and Mark Divine's SEALFIT site. These guys have earned the SEAL trident and know what it takes to succeed. Other great running sites include naturalrunningcenter.com, helmingathletics.com, and runforefoot.com. These sites have really helped me with my running. Locally, I want to thank triathlete/chiropractor Dr. Kurt Barnhill for his advice on running and how to avoid injuries and triathlete/PT Bob Haviland also for his excellent advice on running. In fact, he won the first SEAL Museum 5 K in 2005 and check out a recent video of him demonstrating a run on the beach with excellent form. Thanks Bob, I kept that in mind. Also a big shout out to Rolfer/body specialist Ari Globerman. Your advice on foam rolling and posture have made a huge difference in my athletics.
Thanks to everybody and sorry for anybody I forgot. And most important, a big shout to all veterans. That's what the day was about, honoring and remembering them.
Now time to train for my next race and finish even stronger. And I hope my experiences will motivate all who read and follow me to go out and succeed. If you have any questions feel free to email me at mbrls2000@yahoo.com. Be sure to like and follow me for more practical advice to enhance your performance.Now go out there and go for it!
Welcome to my new blog site.I'm a fitness trainer/lifeguard/competitive athlete.So as you can see I have varied, as well as practical experience. Here I'll show you my training philosophy, as well answer any questions you may have.I hope to clear up alot of the misconceptions put forth by the commercial fitness industry. You know, those commercial chain gyms, or those reality tv fitness makeover shows, as well as infomercials.No wonder people have so many wrong ideas. I hope to clear up these ideas, either here on this blog, or in person. I'm available for 1 on 1 sessions if one wishes.Also check out my new web site at stluciestrengthfitness.yolasite.com.Contact me at mbrls2000@yahoo.com or call me at 561-876-3099. Hope to hear from you.
