Dusted off my MMA shoes this morning after a Z health neural warm up and ran for a mile. Having not run in a looong time it was harder than I thought. In fact, my nine year old son beat me for time - I got 7:19 and he cranked out a 7:18 in his last week of school. Not sure if he is a prodigy, but his time would be considered "superior" for even a 12 year old! Maybe the test standards have been watered down I'm not sure. All I know is that the run felt great and I am going to try to do a mile run for time on a weekly basis. It also shows that sitting at a desk all day is not conducive to great CRF health. I must do more! I continue to be amazed at what marathon runners go through...and reading Brad Nelson's blog where he ran a 4:47 mile in high school gives you an idea of goals/parameters. Everyone needs them!
Some points of interest: The Z health NWU is terrific for getting you ready for running. Half way through my upper back/cervical spine was a little off and a quick neck twist and a crack and it was gone. And remember that force transmission runs all the way from your feet to the opposite side of the body and to the TMJ. All the body all the time!
As for dietary note, I got a little too much sun yesterday and was dehydrated a bit (at least I nailed some Vitamin D!). Studies have shown that performance drops 2-5% as a result of dehydration. I read that if you want to see how you will look in 20 years, look in the mirror after a marathon. I remember the sports anchor "Perk" on Kare 11 videotaping himself on a long run. As time went on, he looked tougher and tougher. A rule of thumb is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces, so if you weigh 150 you should drink 75 ounces of water per day. That is a lot and of course if you are drinking pop you will need to replace it with water. Choices!
In the meantime, I'll keep increasing my efforts for the September TSC. I truly believe that eventually your CRF will be a limiting factor in your strength training, so find a cardio activity and do your best to quantify it, so you can show progress.
Enjoy!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
King James and specificity
I'm not sure how many NBA fans we have out there anymore but the conference championships this year have been outstanding. The NBA had an identity crisis a few years ago when players decided to mix it up with the taunting fans. Not good. But there have been several times in history where ONE person can influence an entire culture change. For the NBA, it is LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just when it looked like you could fold up the NBA this "kid" (now 24) with three straight high school championships comes out and decides to take over the league. And he has kept his nose clean (pardon the pun) and been an absolute joy to watch.
Did anyone catch the now famous "LeBron shot" heard round the world Friday night? With his team down 2 points with one second to go, King James took the inbound pass, turned and nailed a 23 foot three point buzzer beater. WOW! My family and I are rooting for the Cavaliers so we jumped off the couch in utter disbelief. I had given up on them, thinking they didn't have a chance. But as all things go in life, it's not over until it's over.
After the game, the announcers (previous NBA players) were discussing how LeBron and Kobe Bryant practice crazy shots in anticipation of these exact circumstances. LeBron routinely shoots 40-50 foot jump shots in practice. They also take shots off balance, in different positions and with different hands. Triple teamed or wide open.
This ties right in with Z health's concept of specificity, namely, predictability. The body LOVES predictability. When the body is unsure of a movement, it may feel it's a threat and go into startle. As I watched "King James" nail his game winning shot he did not demonstrate any tension in his face or hands. He had done this many times before as they practice, practice, practice these shots.
So when you see people doing amazing things, realize the power of practice but also the power of specificity. Z's concept of doing the exercises exactly and precisely applies here. As much as practice makes perfect, it is important to have PERFECT PRACTICE.
Go Cavs!
Did anyone catch the now famous "LeBron shot" heard round the world Friday night? With his team down 2 points with one second to go, King James took the inbound pass, turned and nailed a 23 foot three point buzzer beater. WOW! My family and I are rooting for the Cavaliers so we jumped off the couch in utter disbelief. I had given up on them, thinking they didn't have a chance. But as all things go in life, it's not over until it's over.
After the game, the announcers (previous NBA players) were discussing how LeBron and Kobe Bryant practice crazy shots in anticipation of these exact circumstances. LeBron routinely shoots 40-50 foot jump shots in practice. They also take shots off balance, in different positions and with different hands. Triple teamed or wide open.
This ties right in with Z health's concept of specificity, namely, predictability. The body LOVES predictability. When the body is unsure of a movement, it may feel it's a threat and go into startle. As I watched "King James" nail his game winning shot he did not demonstrate any tension in his face or hands. He had done this many times before as they practice, practice, practice these shots.
So when you see people doing amazing things, realize the power of practice but also the power of specificity. Z's concept of doing the exercises exactly and precisely applies here. As much as practice makes perfect, it is important to have PERFECT PRACTICE.
Go Cavs!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Reflections on the NSCA Spring Conference
The NSCA clinic was Fri/Saturday at the fine Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington. It is a great place to have a conference, the only better would have been outside! Friday night had four hours of info from some of our solid members: Mike Favre, Larry Meadors/Scott Sahli (president of the MN chapter), Sean Armstead and the unrelated Nelsons (Brad & Mike T).
Saturday started with an hour long presentation by Bud Bjornaraa where he proved that in his 70s he STILL HAS IT. That guy is amazing for ANY age, and gave some great "off the beaten path" ways of fitness. After that we had 3 hours of hands on training at three different stations. I started with Mike and Brad Nelson's "Walk before you run" series, which is based on Z Health "S Phase" training protocols. It was tremendous, and I can't wait until December when I get to go through it. The next station was with Larry/Scott going over the olympic lifts. Not sure if its Z health or what, but I felt a lot better than I did two years ago at this same station. The power output derived from these lifts is amazing and cannot be denied -I feel like I should throw some of these in my routine!
The third station was with Mike Favre and he put us through some Zercher lifts/circuits and rope work. After that, another we had another four hours, starting with Mike Favre going through some program design strategies he has implemented at the US Olympic center in Colorado. Next, Ryan Johnson the strength coach of Wayzata spoke about how he has built it up the program to hundreds of participants. I met briefly with him, and plan on stopping by the school sometime soon. Brad Gillingham and Dave Ostlund chatted about powerlifting and strongman and showed how the two training styles were similar in some ways and different in others. Both of them had blown biceps to show for it - OUCH! Brad pulled a PR DL of 881 about eight months after the repair, so its proof that at age 43 you can still rebound.
Finally, Rich Heilman wrapped up the conference with the polar opposite of Brad/Dave, that of marathon and Iron Man training. He told of the ins and outs and how to peak the training in all three events. I have newfound respect for these athletes (not that I didn't already) but the mental aspect is extraordinary. Swimming 2.5 MILES and getting kicked and slapped while doing it doesn't sound that easy. Then biking 112 miles in 100 degree heat with toxic volcanic residue filling the air (in the mountains) isn't a picnic either. Oh yeah, and then go run a full marathon! After listening I felt liked I ran one...wow. Bottom line I am proud to have my CSCS and be part of the NSCA. If doctors the world over still put the CSCS intitals after their name that surely says something.
As for the soreness I felt today, it proves that a person needs to mix up their training frequently and strive for same, but different. Work with a trainer to help set up your goals and now which energy systems are required for your specific sport. But be sure that your body is ready, and that is where Z health comes into play. Everything must be firing in order for you to be at your best. While I am sore today I can still move around. And the soreness is in areas that were not working properly before - especially in my hip area and the psoas. This is a GOOD thing! Contact me if you want to be at your best.
Saturday started with an hour long presentation by Bud Bjornaraa where he proved that in his 70s he STILL HAS IT. That guy is amazing for ANY age, and gave some great "off the beaten path" ways of fitness. After that we had 3 hours of hands on training at three different stations. I started with Mike and Brad Nelson's "Walk before you run" series, which is based on Z Health "S Phase" training protocols. It was tremendous, and I can't wait until December when I get to go through it. The next station was with Larry/Scott going over the olympic lifts. Not sure if its Z health or what, but I felt a lot better than I did two years ago at this same station. The power output derived from these lifts is amazing and cannot be denied -I feel like I should throw some of these in my routine!
The third station was with Mike Favre and he put us through some Zercher lifts/circuits and rope work. After that, another we had another four hours, starting with Mike Favre going through some program design strategies he has implemented at the US Olympic center in Colorado. Next, Ryan Johnson the strength coach of Wayzata spoke about how he has built it up the program to hundreds of participants. I met briefly with him, and plan on stopping by the school sometime soon. Brad Gillingham and Dave Ostlund chatted about powerlifting and strongman and showed how the two training styles were similar in some ways and different in others. Both of them had blown biceps to show for it - OUCH! Brad pulled a PR DL of 881 about eight months after the repair, so its proof that at age 43 you can still rebound.
Finally, Rich Heilman wrapped up the conference with the polar opposite of Brad/Dave, that of marathon and Iron Man training. He told of the ins and outs and how to peak the training in all three events. I have newfound respect for these athletes (not that I didn't already) but the mental aspect is extraordinary. Swimming 2.5 MILES and getting kicked and slapped while doing it doesn't sound that easy. Then biking 112 miles in 100 degree heat with toxic volcanic residue filling the air (in the mountains) isn't a picnic either. Oh yeah, and then go run a full marathon! After listening I felt liked I ran one...wow. Bottom line I am proud to have my CSCS and be part of the NSCA. If doctors the world over still put the CSCS intitals after their name that surely says something.
As for the soreness I felt today, it proves that a person needs to mix up their training frequently and strive for same, but different. Work with a trainer to help set up your goals and now which energy systems are required for your specific sport. But be sure that your body is ready, and that is where Z health comes into play. Everything must be firing in order for you to be at your best. While I am sore today I can still move around. And the soreness is in areas that were not working properly before - especially in my hip area and the psoas. This is a GOOD thing! Contact me if you want to be at your best.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The NFL Draft and the specificity principle
I may be weird, but the NFL draft is my favorite sports day of the year. I usually have a few guys over and we diagnose what went wrong with the Vikings' picks. Actually, they have been doing quite well in my opinion - I would say Adrian Peterson hasn't been a bust! This year they picked a couple of players with character issues - I guess Ziggy's code of conduct goes out the window if the guy has enough talent. Percy Harvin of Florida was our number one pick on Saturday, a guy who got booted from playing football in the state of Virginia for choking a coach. He also tested positive for smoking dope the day before the NFL combine, proving he is not the brightest bulb on the tree. Oh well, typical Viking shenanigans!
Speaking of the combine, that is the portion of the draft that intrigues me the most. As I am always attempting to break PRs and love strength training, it is awesome what kind of numbers these kids can put up. My PR for benching 225 is 12 reps, whereas most guys get at least 25 - I do remember a guy getting 45 a few years back - WOW! A little trick for finding out a max is to multiply your reps * .03. For me, 12 @225 is 12*.03 = .36; 225 * 1.36 = 306. My max at the time was 305 so that is pretty dang close!
As for the specificity of these tests, it surely remains to be seen. For some players, it has shown to be true - for others the specificity of benching 225 for reps, running a 40 yard dash and a vertical jump test doesn't transfer to the playing field. I think it shows the athlete's potential no doubt, but is not a guarantee. The guy who benched 225 for 45 reps is not a pro bowl player. All I know is that if you can "pass the test" you can become a richer man overnight! My chiropractor buddy Dr.Josh Sandell helped a Notre Dame player drop his 40 time from 4.92 to 4.67 - which raised his stock from a potential 6th rounder to a 2nd rounder...making him MILLIONS of dollars. And with the number one pick from Georgia signing with Detroit for a reported $78M ($42 guaranteed) you wonder if the economy is so bad after all. If I could just talk a team into believing my bench translates into excellence on the field. On second thought, after hearing what pro players do to practice squad players during scrimmages, I'll keep my day job and fight for my life in a non-violent manner!
Speaking of the combine, that is the portion of the draft that intrigues me the most. As I am always attempting to break PRs and love strength training, it is awesome what kind of numbers these kids can put up. My PR for benching 225 is 12 reps, whereas most guys get at least 25 - I do remember a guy getting 45 a few years back - WOW! A little trick for finding out a max is to multiply your reps * .03. For me, 12 @225 is 12*.03 = .36; 225 * 1.36 = 306. My max at the time was 305 so that is pretty dang close!
As for the specificity of these tests, it surely remains to be seen. For some players, it has shown to be true - for others the specificity of benching 225 for reps, running a 40 yard dash and a vertical jump test doesn't transfer to the playing field. I think it shows the athlete's potential no doubt, but is not a guarantee. The guy who benched 225 for 45 reps is not a pro bowl player. All I know is that if you can "pass the test" you can become a richer man overnight! My chiropractor buddy Dr.Josh Sandell helped a Notre Dame player drop his 40 time from 4.92 to 4.67 - which raised his stock from a potential 6th rounder to a 2nd rounder...making him MILLIONS of dollars. And with the number one pick from Georgia signing with Detroit for a reported $78M ($42 guaranteed) you wonder if the economy is so bad after all. If I could just talk a team into believing my bench translates into excellence on the field. On second thought, after hearing what pro players do to practice squad players during scrimmages, I'll keep my day job and fight for my life in a non-violent manner!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Get off the treadmill (with apologies to Mike T Nelson)
It's 85 degrees and I just got back from a five mile bike ride with my daughter. The wind made it pretty tough on some of the hills coming back so it was indeed a workout!
On that note, I just had to put something in on the subject of treadmills and the sacred cow(ness) of them. Hint: If you want to get someone riled up, tell them their $3,000 treadmill was a waste of money! Mike T Nelson's blog just had a post on this and it was right on as usual. It got people about as excited as his "dump the foam roller" article. Mike and I went through a lot of Z Health training to learn how to move better and stop screwing yourself up day after day. Staying off a treadmill is one way to do this!
As always, the choices you make have consequences. If you can make an educated decision I believe you should make one. It is PROVEN that running on treadmills make you slower and worsen your movement. So any chance you get, do anything BUT run on a treadmill. And get outside! That means take bike rides. Jump rope. Jog. Swim. Swing a kettlebell. Think of all the Vitamin D you are getting! If it's raining and you must be inside, work out, play hoops or racquetball, ride on a stationary bike or use a rower machine. But don't use something that will hamper your ability to move. Just pick another protocol, that's all I ask!
On that note, I just had to put something in on the subject of treadmills and the sacred cow(ness) of them. Hint: If you want to get someone riled up, tell them their $3,000 treadmill was a waste of money! Mike T Nelson's blog just had a post on this and it was right on as usual. It got people about as excited as his "dump the foam roller" article. Mike and I went through a lot of Z Health training to learn how to move better and stop screwing yourself up day after day. Staying off a treadmill is one way to do this!
As always, the choices you make have consequences. If you can make an educated decision I believe you should make one. It is PROVEN that running on treadmills make you slower and worsen your movement. So any chance you get, do anything BUT run on a treadmill. And get outside! That means take bike rides. Jump rope. Jog. Swim. Swing a kettlebell. Think of all the Vitamin D you are getting! If it's raining and you must be inside, work out, play hoops or racquetball, ride on a stationary bike or use a rower machine. But don't use something that will hamper your ability to move. Just pick another protocol, that's all I ask!
Monday, April 20, 2009
DOMS and the point of no return
Well it's been two days since my VO2 max training day and I am still sore as heck. (For the lay person DOMS means delayed onset muscle soreness). Even after 20+ years of training I still make mistakes, mine being cranking out a lot of snatches without having done them for about a month. I remember reading how some bodybuilders would do hundreds of sets of one particular exercise to determine if it works for them. Marty Gallagher "The Purposeful Primitive" told of a time he did 50 reps of one arm curls for each arm on the hour for 10 straight hours - and his arms locked up the next day! I don't feel that bad but you get the picture.
Let's examine my situation:
Lats: Some tightness
Triceps: Sore, felt like I did 20 sets of brain crushers
Biceps: Sore - some kettlebellers have huge arms - this proves why
Hamstrings: Felt like I got whacked with a baseball bat
Glutes: Ditto
Psoas: Finally! Thanks to Z work!
When looking at the areas that were sore (and not sore), I realized it was directly attributable to my Z training. My muscles are now firing! In the past, this type of work would have led to a severly sore lower back. I took a long walk, did Z health, ate as much as I could and still felt it. To top it off I had some sleep distubances. I asked Mike T Nelson about remedies and he also recommended an epson bath. He also stated that DOMS peaks in 24-48 hours and that even after just 1 exposure, your body will not see nearly as much DOMS with the same exercise. Awesome!
So the moral of the story is don't go overboard unless you have been practicing the exercise. If you are a bodybuilder on the juice knock yourself out. Otherwise you WILL knock yourself out.
Let's examine my situation:
Lats: Some tightness
Triceps: Sore, felt like I did 20 sets of brain crushers
Biceps: Sore - some kettlebellers have huge arms - this proves why
Hamstrings: Felt like I got whacked with a baseball bat
Glutes: Ditto
Psoas: Finally! Thanks to Z work!
When looking at the areas that were sore (and not sore), I realized it was directly attributable to my Z training. My muscles are now firing! In the past, this type of work would have led to a severly sore lower back. I took a long walk, did Z health, ate as much as I could and still felt it. To top it off I had some sleep distubances. I asked Mike T Nelson about remedies and he also recommended an epson bath. He also stated that DOMS peaks in 24-48 hours and that even after just 1 exposure, your body will not see nearly as much DOMS with the same exercise. Awesome!
So the moral of the story is don't go overboard unless you have been practicing the exercise. If you are a bodybuilder on the juice knock yourself out. Otherwise you WILL knock yourself out.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
VO2 Max and the Fear Factor
I recently bought the book "Viking Warrior Conditioning" by Kenneth Jay, Master RKC as well as his DVD on the subject. Excellent work on both I must say! Buy them now at http://www.topnotchpersonaltraining.com/educationalmaterials.htm . Last Saturday I went through his 15/15 protocol pre-test and came up with my target number of 7. So I felt I was prepared for today even though I dreaded it, almost to a point of fear in a way.
Started with 20 minutes of Z work and then some work on pistols (I have yet to nail one). Joe Pavel has me doing some band work (JumpUSA) and some other protocols to get my tight ankles used to the "down" position. Then did a quick 1-5 ladder on pullups (15 reps) and finished with two singles at 12K (hard!). I had been doing chinups for a long time because they tested well but my left elbow has been bothering me as of late. A quick test on chinups resulted in much pain - but thankfully wide grip tested fine! The pullups seemed a little harder today, and I was wondering if it was due to any visual issues. It was early Saturday AM so I had my glasses on (I'm blind as a bat due to staring at a friggin PC all day). This may have hampered my form a bit - we'll see next time.
Now I was ready for the 15/15 protocol, or I thought I was. If you have tended to go for more strength work (i.e. low reps) you tend to hate cardio work. I am no exception. You want the pain to end quickly, and with a shot of adrenaline induced rage you can pound out a couple quick reps no problem. This protocol is no such animal. By the 6th minute I was already cursing Kenneth Jay's descendants (if he has any). My hands were hurting and my heart was beating out of my chest. Seems that sitting at a desk all day is not conducive to excellent cardiovascular health!
But I made 10 minutes/20 rounds of 7. While I only used the 16K, 140 reps in 10 minutes is really cool! While it is hell going through it, when you are done you feel so darn good - maybe its because you are done HA! But really, high intensity CRF work gives a totally different feeling than a single max attempt, and better I might add. Of course this all depends on your adrenal type and all sorts of factors. More on that later.
I will keep you posted on my progress with this excellent program - remember, simplicity is the highest form of complexity. When you read Jay's book you will see how much work he put into this and the science behind it all. And all I have to do is 80 sets of 7 to move on to the next torture of a program........60 to go!
Started with 20 minutes of Z work and then some work on pistols (I have yet to nail one). Joe Pavel has me doing some band work (JumpUSA) and some other protocols to get my tight ankles used to the "down" position. Then did a quick 1-5 ladder on pullups (15 reps) and finished with two singles at 12K (hard!). I had been doing chinups for a long time because they tested well but my left elbow has been bothering me as of late. A quick test on chinups resulted in much pain - but thankfully wide grip tested fine! The pullups seemed a little harder today, and I was wondering if it was due to any visual issues. It was early Saturday AM so I had my glasses on (I'm blind as a bat due to staring at a friggin PC all day). This may have hampered my form a bit - we'll see next time.
Now I was ready for the 15/15 protocol, or I thought I was. If you have tended to go for more strength work (i.e. low reps) you tend to hate cardio work. I am no exception. You want the pain to end quickly, and with a shot of adrenaline induced rage you can pound out a couple quick reps no problem. This protocol is no such animal. By the 6th minute I was already cursing Kenneth Jay's descendants (if he has any). My hands were hurting and my heart was beating out of my chest. Seems that sitting at a desk all day is not conducive to excellent cardiovascular health!
But I made 10 minutes/20 rounds of 7. While I only used the 16K, 140 reps in 10 minutes is really cool! While it is hell going through it, when you are done you feel so darn good - maybe its because you are done HA! But really, high intensity CRF work gives a totally different feeling than a single max attempt, and better I might add. Of course this all depends on your adrenal type and all sorts of factors. More on that later.
I will keep you posted on my progress with this excellent program - remember, simplicity is the highest form of complexity. When you read Jay's book you will see how much work he put into this and the science behind it all. And all I have to do is 80 sets of 7 to move on to the next torture of a program........60 to go!
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