1> Treadmills are a useful tool. At the same time, they are useless.
AHH....The ole side shuffle.....That'll get you plenty of dirty looks!
So, after leaving the confines of a private gym, with the luxury of sauna, Tv’s on every treadmill, I ended up at Crossfit Mississauga. A “treadmillless” and practically cardioless establishment. The only cardio equipment there are the rattiest Concept 2 Rowers you’ll ever see. Complete with non-working screens.
The clientelle, however, don’t seem worse for ware. In fact, most are very lean and muscular. So the hours on the dreadmill, aren’t absolutely necessary. I myself, although chunked a little lately, am no worse for ware either.
That said… There is something that is deep seeding within me that misses the 40 minutes of “insurance” that the treadmill afforded me. Cause, I can stay and get lean, but my diet must be meticulous. When I added that extra work in, it allowed me, I feel, a little buffer zone with regards to food intake. Furthermore, I find that those who add in some steady state cardio tend to have a little less subcutaneous fat ( and a little more definition)… Call me crazy, but, it’s what I see.
Take home message… Do it, or don’t do it – diet is everything.
2> High Rep Olympic Lifts are Dumb
Yep, high rep Olympic lifts are guaranteed to get you eventually...
So being a 465 pound dead lifter, I scoffed when I read the workout of the day at Crossfit..
275 Pound Deadlift 5 Reps
95 Pound Thruster 10 Reps
5 rounds for time.
Now, god bless em; but probably the worst written workout in the history of the world…
A quarter ton, being moved for TIME?!
Round 1, destroyed it… Deads were easy…. As I coasted along under the watchful eye of 8 or so people, cheering me on, something happened that would change my view of lifting forever.
Rep 4 on the 4th round, I pulled my back so bad, that I fainted, twice. I was also rendered useless for the two weeks ( and two hospital visits later)
This had been my first lifting injury ever. And it scared the living bejeezuz right out of me.
And time the load you are working with exceeds 200 pounds, “TIME” should not be your bench mark. Too many things can happen. Fatigue, form break down, etc…
3> Nike Free’s are the best training shoe in the world.
Flexible much?
Really, if you don’t have a pair, and you do Olympic lifts/agility work, you don’t know what you are missing.
4> The Paleo Diet is about the easiest and healthiest diet in the world.
Read about it. Cordain and Robb Wolf have some great writing on it.
5> Intermittent Fasting does have its place in the real world
It has shown real world results. It’s really the simplest “diet” out there. Eat, stop, Eat ( a’la Brad Pilon) has been shown over and over again to have positive results on health markers, fat mass and longevity.
To take this point further, if you could somehow manage the balls and well, obsession to combine the Zone Diet + Paleo Diet + Intermittent Fasting, you would probably be staring at the FASTEST way to lose weight and be health.
Example Sunday – Fast
Monday – Wednesday ( Zone Diet Rations with Paleolithic Foods)
Thurs – Fast
Fri/Sat (Zone Diet Rations with Paleolithic Foods)
The ZONE
The theory behind the Zone diet is all in the numbers: 40-30-30. Zone dieters balance their meals and snacks so that their calories come from a mix of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent “friendly” fats. Sears theorizes that this caloric framework keeps your mind and body working most efficiently. Additionally, on his website, Sears talks about how his diet can reduce inflammation in your body, which, in turn, can help stave off serious illness (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.) while curbing weight gain.
Sweet diet.... NO food. How much easier can it get?
PALEO
Often called cave-man diets or Neanderthal diets, Paleo diet principles implore us to return to hunter-gatherer practices of the Paleolithic period of human evolution more than 10,000 years ago. This requires that we refrain from eating grain foods, potatoes, beans, milk, and refined sugars -- foods only eaten within the last 10,000 years and which are deemed to be unsuitable for consumption because of an insufficient time for Homo sapiens to adapt to these foods. The Paleo diet is high in meats, vegetables and fruit.
Put those together, and your pretty much heading towards HEALTH NIRVANA
6> When injuries happen, look to your diet and sleep. Really.
7> Overstretching
Not really complaining here...
I’ve come to realize that over stretching and area causes instability in me personally. This is more of a trial and error thing. I prefer a general warm up such as jogging to heavy duty static stretching. Don’t know what it is, or why, best answer… Just Cause.
7. Lift Heavy, almost always. Women Especially.
Crossfit Mississauga - 505lbs
When dieting to lose weight, it is imperative to continue to lift heavy to help maintain and/or prevent any possible muscle loss. Also, reps in and around the 5 range have far reaching benefits with regards to strength/keeping/gaining muscle and being functionally strong.
8. Don’t forget what got you here.
You started training to look good naked. Don’t forget that. Add in some “beach work” and cardio and Train for Vain baby.
9. Crossfit is not THE answer. Only another tool.
Nicole and Eva T - the original crossfit girls...
Crossfit draws a lot of attention and merely mentioning the word in cyberspace is bound to spark an internet debate that will leave you scratching your head. So, my opinion….
It’s a great community. Really, some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Everyone talks to everyone and it’s a SUPER supportive atmosphere. Everyone knows your name, kinda like cheers. “Ah….Normie”
It’s programming is retarded. Plain and simple. A little tweak and it would almost be perfect.
High Rep Olympic Lifts over 60% of your 1 rm is simply the dumbest thing anyone can do.
They are kinda of snobbish at any traditional “bodybuilding” move, however they find no issue in having you perform overhead squats for 5 minutes straight.
It all comes down to a fine line between perfection and practicality.
Each Day should look like to original SRX
>5 mins: General Warm Up
>20 mins - Strength Movements ( 5 reps or less)
(on any given day – Squat/Deadlift/Press/Snatch/Power Clean/Chin up)
This can be a max effort, dynamic or explosive work.
>15 minutes – Metabolic Conditioning.
Something that makes your heart go REALLY FAST…. Intervals, Kb Swings…or as an example
Row 250 Meters, Max pushups, Max Chin Ups as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.
Basically throughout this, you should be sucking wind… hard…
Finish Up with a focus on a bodypart or two and never forget your CORE muscles.
10. NEVER neglect your core.
After a hernia, and now an additional sports hernia and various strains, I will never ever ever, neglect core work again.
11. Sledgehammers are fun
Really, a tire and a sledgehammer have produced some of the most fun and intimidating workouts.
12. You should be scared before your METCON work ( Metabolic Conditioning)
If you aren’t anxious, chances are it’s not a taxing enough workout to produce the effect you are looking for.
I myself can tell when I am in for a battle….. You procrastinate, you get more water, you take time to psyche yourself up…
These are the days you know you are in for something special…
13. Good Words to live by…
· Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
· Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics:pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstands, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.
· Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY. Keep workouts short and intense.
· Regularly learn and play new sports!
14. Alcohol really doesn’t help anything with regards to your training. I learned this a lot in the last year.
15. Have a Plan
Have a plan, write it out before you go to the gym, otherwise you end up listless and without direction. Trust me, look at the week and draw it up. Keep a journal and update it daily.
16. Nothing beats a quality training partner.
Training alone is great for the driven, and for the serious competitive athlete.
That said, it’s amazing what a great training partner brings to the table. The accountability to meet someone on a Sunday morning when you’ve been out partying to the wee hours is enough to help you stay in the “moderation” department the night before.
When your partner is as driven as you, it keeps you in line.
17. Training at home simply doesn’t work
The road to fitness failure is paved with home workout videos
Yes, I think P90X is a great program, probably the best one out there for home training. It takes into account many things
(strength/flexibility/intensity/nutrition/muscle confusion).
That said, I know of 5 people that have, and purchased the program… and exactly ZERO of them are doing it right now, and are back at the gym.
A: It’s hard
B: There is no motivation for most people to A: Train alone or B: Train at home alone.
Go to the gym, if people got in shape at home, then your Tony Little Glider wouldn’t be a NEW AGE Clothes Hanger.
I have seen exactly ZERO people get in shape from home training ( unless they have a FULL gym in the garage or basement)
Tae-Bo, P90X, Seven Minute Abs…. etc…. Pony up the $40 people and join the Y.
18. Chin Ups are the first thing to go
When you don’t do them, you lose your mojo quick on them.
19. Rest
You’ve heard it a million times, and yes, even I realize the importance of rest nowadays. If you’ve been at the gym 5 days straight… you either A: Aren’t training hard enough or B: Exercise Bulimic. Either way, slow down – sunshine.
20. Diet is king
You know this. Just like reiterating it.
21> Calories Earned
This is a troubling trend I hear lately. I’ve always said all along that you cannot out work a shitty diet, it simply cannot be done. Yet almost everyone at every party I go to can be overheard…. “well, I’ll have to get on the treadmill and burn this off” or “that’s ok, I worked out today, so pass the cheeto’s”
Earning your calories is a bad way of thinking.
22> Ripped Freak is the best pre-cardio supplement. Talk about AMPED UP!
23> There are some GREAT tasting protein powders out there lately.
1> All-Whey Maple Fudge
2> Six Star Whey Protein Isolate ( Really my old peeps from Iovate did good here)
3> IsoFlex Peanut Butter Chocolate from ALL-MAXX
24. BCAA Powder gets my choice as the new “MUST HAVE”
Branched Chain Amino Acid powder is the first thing I recommend as a peri(during) workout drink. I’ve seen first hand what it can do.
There is a company that makes a great product called “EXTEND”, but it’s pricey.
(and shitty marketing, but hey, it’s great when a product stands on it’s own for quality).
25. I now love burpees
26. I hate thrusters
27. Women often underestimate their protein needs
If you are in the gym, on the treadmill, chucking weights around 5-7 times a week, you need .8 gram of protein per pound at the VERY minimum.
28. If you are older than 30 – You don’t need to lift more than 3-4 times per week.
29. Have a goal. Really.
No goal? No end zone? No Finish>?
I relate to a story of mine of 7 years ago, and my very first 5k race…..
I was trailing my then training partner for the better part of 4k…
I honestly never thought it would end!
She had me beat and I was on the verge of giving up…..
Then A funny thing happened… I saw the end….there it was with cameras, balloons and people cheering your name!
I was electrified! I transformed from a guy about to quit, to an animal….. A man possessed.
Michelle who was 200 yards ahead of me had no idea what was coming… when I proceeded to sprint past her and turn around with just enough gumption to flip her the bird while running through the finish line... backwards…. :)
Needless to say, it’s still up on the old internet today…
8153
James Nugent
Mississauga
23:51.7
15 M30-34
90
5:11
121
8159
Michelle Lima
Mississauga
23:53.3
13 F20-24
29
5:11
The 1.4 second victory is MINE forever and a serious argument starter whenever I bring it up.
The point being… Have a real, attainable and tangible goal. Seeing the end-zone can turn help not only guide you, but push you along to the finish.
(Sorry Michelle)
30. I really like Creemore Beer
31. Almond Flour is great
Almond Flour can be used in place of bread crumbs to make the same comfort food that you know and love ( chicken parmigana/chicken strips) etc.
32. Snatches Are Great Delt Builders
Some moderate weight snatches will blow you shoulders up real good….
Try “gordie” 75 pounds, for 75 Power snatches ( for time) and tell me how sore you delts are.
33. I don’t love kettlebells as much as I used to.
34. I don’t love Tilapia as much as I used to.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30832-dirty-jobs-striped-bass-farm-video.htm
AND THEY EAT POOP :/
35. Read Mark Twight’s work.
http://www.gymjones.com/
36. I don’t love the back squat as much as I used to
Heavy Back squats for low reps, is something that as I get older I am moving away from. I can certainly justify adding them as much as I can moving away from back squats to front squats. Similar movement, less spinal compression.
37. I will never ever ever lift with bad form again.
After my back injury, I had to go back and relearn the actual lifting movement. Having got to a 465 deadlift with my haphazard form, I had to check my ego at the door and go back and slowly build it back up safely and effectively.
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/deadlift_diagnosis
38. Cabernet Sauvignon is not an ideal post-workout beverage
39. Gary Taubes is a brilliant idiot
Yes Gary, your book “good calories bad calories” is a remarkably well written and you provide many substantial studies but in the end, it’s not a metabolic advantage. It’s cause you eat less. Not because of magic.
If you drop all carbs, you invariably lower your calories. That’s a simple fact. AND - You’re just not as hungry.
Now, I am a firm believer that lower carb diets are good keys for weight loss; it’s just that I realize the mechanism is caloric restriction and not some fantastic metabolic magic!
That said, the book does have some great insights.
40. I miss training my biceps
41. Nothing will make you work harder than a stop-watch and people cheering you on.
42. Women should dedicate one day a week to their lower body.
43. That’s my first post in the last few months; hopefully it sparks a new tirade of things that I learn along the way.
Workout for Monday
Bench Press 5x3
Rope Chin Up 5x5
Clean and Jerk 5-5-5-3-3-1-1-1
Met Con
Row 250 meters
Max Pushups
5 KB Snatches Per Arm
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes ( 9 rounds)
Core and Flexibility Work.
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