In just a few hours I will be hopping a plane with colleagues to Beijing, China for a month. The opportunity to work with athletes from another country for a month looks to be as challenging as it is compelling. En route with me is long time friend and coach Rett Larson, as well as staff from Athletes' Performance AZ - Director of Performance John Stemmerman, and Director of Physical Therapy Sue Falsone. The trip from Boston came with an unexpected 24 hour layover in Huntington Beach, CA,
Monday, October 10, 2011
Headed Off To China
In just a few hours I will be hopping a plane with colleagues to Beijing, China for a month. The opportunity to work with athletes from another country for a month looks to be as challenging as it is compelling. En route with me is long time friend and coach Rett Larson, as well as staff from Athletes' Performance AZ - Director of Performance John Stemmerman, and Director of Physical Therapy Sue Falsone. The trip from Boston came with an unexpected 24 hour layover in Huntington Beach, CA,
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Whole 30 paleo Challenge - Week # 1
After completing seven days of the Whole 30 Paleo Challenge (perfect eating for one month) I can say my motivation to stay on track has improved. Once a goal is set and you start making progress it helps when progress comes quickley. As my colleague Victor Hall reminds me "Success breeds motivation". Victor is my model for success. After transforming himself from 180 lbs and +20% body fat down to a 155 lbs. and 7% body fat using these methods of clean eating, carb restriction, and exercise how could I not follow. Here are my numbers for the week.
- Start weight 8/1 - 186 lbs.
- End weight 8/6 - 179 lbs.
- Start Body Fat 8/1 - 17.2%
- End Body Fat 8/6 - 16.2%
- Ave Calories - 1684 kcal
- Ave Protein - 122 grams
- Ave Fat - 112 grams
- Ave Carbs - 46 grams
- Deadlift 400 lbs.
- Clean and Jerk - 200 lbs
- 5K Run - 25 minutes
- 5K Row - 19 minutes
- 10K Row - 45 minutes
- Handstand Push Ups - 5
- Muscle Ups - 10
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Going All In - The Whole 30 Perfect Paleo Challenge
We Pirates are at it again. After the past four months of experimenting with some Paleo protocols I feel I have the last few pieces to implement for best results. For the next 30 days we are attempting the Whole 30. Eating only whole, non processed foods while excluding all dairy, legumes, and grains. This is a "reset" to get things in order for a 3 month performance challenge. I need to lose fat to gain muscle. Goal is 10% body fat. Additionally my joints simply feel better on a carb restricted, high fat, high protein diet. Not to mention my ADHD brain. More on that in another post. This week is baseline testing and getting my food dialed in. Here is a peek at my proposed nutrition for week 1.
- Protein - 175 grams /700 kcals
- Carbohydrate - 50-75 grams / 200 - 300 kcals
- Fat - 75 grams / 675 kcals
- Total calories approximately 1700.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Jump Roping In July - Double Unders
- A longer, heavier rope is easier to learn but limits high end performance
- Attempt doubles like you do singles - relaxed and without kicking your heels to your glutes
- The rope MUST touch the floor on each rep
- Arms close to your sides hands slightly out in front
- Chest Up for better posture and alignment to support more elastic jumps
- Finally - Practice, Practice, Practice - You should be able to add double unders nearly every time you attempt them.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Single Stretch Saturday - Loosen Up Your Tight Quads
Stretching is a funny topic. There are so many categories and variations. Rather than tackle the whole cornucopia we have decided to share one stretch with you. Our belief is that it is better to invest more time on one thing than to dilute with too much variety. That said over the next year will will certainly give you more stretches, postures, Asanas, routines, and variations than you will ever need. My apologies in advance.
- Be gentle - no need to rip it apart
- Breath - holding your breath = unneeded tension in the tissue
- Hold the Position A. for at least two full breath cycles then transition to Position B.
- Try 3 rounds 3 reps on each side switching legs each set.
- If you are tight like I am on one side I don't bother stretching the looser side more than once.
Monday, June 13, 2011
From Worst to Less Worse - Moving to the right.
Primal Blueprint - Lessons from author Mark Sisson Carbs
One of my favorite books on nutrition is Primal Blueprint by author and Paleo enthusiast Mark Sisson. After hearing him speak he made three comments that stuck with me.
- He mentioned that the "Carbohydrate Curve" is his proudest achievement in this book. He said that reading and hearing stories of his followers losing 50 lbs or more and regaining their health is of the greatest feelings possible. Additionally the reason he believes in this chart so convincingly is seeing it work for the serious athlete who eats and trains well and is looking to lose those last 5-10 lbs. of fat around their midsection. Following the 100 gram Carb guideline it has proven itself time and again.
The Primal Blueprint Carbohydrate Curve
What’ll It Be? The “Sweet Spot” or the “Danger Zone”?
Carbohydrate intake is often the decisive factor in weight loss success and prevention of widespread health problems like Metabolic Syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes. These average daily intake levels assume that you are also getting sufficient protein and healthy fats, and are doing some amount of Primal exercise. The ranges in each zone account for individual metabolic differences.
0-50 grams per day: Ketosis and I.F. (Intermittent Fasting) zone. Excellent catalyst for rapid fat loss through I.F. Not recommended for prolonged periods (except in medically supervised programs for obese or Type 2 diabetics) due to unnecessary deprivation of plant foods.
50-100 grams per day: Sweet Spot for Weight Loss. Steadily drop excess body fat by minimizing insulin production. Enables 1-2 pounds per week of fat loss with satisfying, minimally restrictive meals.
100-150 grams per day: Primal Maintenance zone. Once you’ve arrived at your goal or ideal body composition, you can maintain it quite easily here while enjoying abundant vegetables, fruits and other Primal foods.
150-300 grams a day: Insidious Weight Gain zone. Most health conscious eaters and unsuccessful dieters end up here, due to frequent intake of sugar and grain products (breads, pastas, cereals, rice, potatoes – even whole grains). Despite trying to “do the right thing” (minimize fat, cut calories), people can still gain an average of 1.5 pounds of fat every year for decades.
300+ grams a day: Danger Zone of average American diet. All but the most extreme exercisers will tend to produce excessive insulin and store excessive fat over the years at this intake level. Increases risk for obesity, Metabolic Syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Murph
Last Monday on Memorial Day I went up against my "White Whale". A workout that I was almost certain was out of my reach until a couple of month's ago. I committed myself to a better Paleo style diet and got my training into a good groove. It was the toughest physical and mental test I believe I have ever experienced. After 58:14 I had finished. Special thanks to the other competitors, coaches, and my girlfriend for supporting through the event.
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Lucky 13 - A WOD for my Dog
Monday, April 4, 2011
New York City Half Marathon
After a weekend in the Big Apple cheering on 7500+ female runners for the More Magazine Half Marathon you can't help but walk away inspired. I myself have never gone that distance running or walking (not sure I have biked that far either!) As I watched these women sprint, run, jog, or walk their way around Central Park for 13.1 miles you could see the empowered determination and competitive drive. We are very proud of all our Pirate Fit athletes that participated in races in on the East Coast and West Coast. Keep up the good work girls!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Groundhog Day
Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this morning. That means an early spring this year. Lets take these last few weeks in the cold to make sure we keep our strength levels up. For our New England Pirate members we know they have been shoveling weekly and those snow banks are getting higher which means you have to throw the snow a further distance.
- Goblet Squats - Pause 2 seconds at the bottom
- DB Bench Press - Be sure that DB's touch your body at the bottom
- Weighted Sit Ups - Knees bent arms extended over chest and sit up until plate is overhead
- Box Jumps - Be sure to open the hips at the top
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Mean Girls
As we prepare for "March Movie Madness" next month we have started growing our list. Special thanks to the Girls Volleyball team for selecting this workout. Along with Westerns like "True Grit", action movies like "The Terminator", and even the epic saga like "Braveheart" these workouts are designed to be as challenging as they are motivating. As a bonus you can set the soundtrack t0 the movie in the background. while you get in character. This WOD is a combo as it is also part of our Alphabet Assault Series.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Seven Sisters Series - #2 Claudia
Friday, January 28, 2011
T.G.I.F
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
10 x 10 x 10
Are you ready for a full body workout where the grand total equals 1000 reps? Yes you are! Here is the lay out.
- Jumping Jacks
- Air Squats
- Push Ups
- Sit Ups
- Alternating Lunges
- Bench Dips
- Squat Jumps
- 1/2 Pirate Get Ups
- Giant Backward Arm Circles
- Burpee Jacks
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Run, Bike, Swim, or Row
Simple Things Done Savagely Well is our motto here at Pirate Fit. Todays WOD is a mono structural pursuit for you to buckle down and go the distance. To balance out the lifting and short interval work lets air it out and hit the Long Slow Distance (LSD).
Monday, January 24, 2011
CrossFit Fun with the Seven Sisters
This past weekend myself and Taylor Yaffee attended and became certified as CrossFit Level 1 coaches courtesy of Coach Greg Glassman founder of CrossFit. He is a big believer in the development of todays youth and improving their health. He felt that the work that we are doing here at Pirate Fit was important and offered both Taylor and I this certification and the CrossFit Kids certification on his dime. The Charter of CrossFit is to "Increase Work Capacity Across Broad Time and Modal Domains". The prescription is "constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement." We are excited to add this methodology into a blended program to help our athletes to get best results.
- Angie
- Cindy
- Claudia
- Fran
- Grace
- Helen
- Linda
- 25 reps
- 50 reps
- 75 reps
- 100 reps - Prescribed or Rx
- Pull Ups Level 1
- Push ups Level 2
- Sit Ups Level 3
- Air squats Level 4
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Pull Up Part III
In this third installment for pull up success we will go over the guidelines to getting up to the bar. In our previous two posts we covered
- Hand size
- Grip strength
- Pain
- Systemic strength
- Body weight
- Equipment
- Develop hand strength
- Tolerate pain and and toughness i.e. callouses - Yes you will need them
- And help to develop the proper body mechanics to develop the swing + pull to achieve your goal
- Kipping Swing - 3 x 10 If you can't Kip you can't play. This is the jumping off point that we have been referring to. Hand and tissue tolerance are the limiting factors up front. So be smart and mind your blisters. Increase reps and sets as you build comfort and strength.
- Band Assisted Kipping Pull Ups 3 x 5. This will teach you how to time the swing + pull and also develop the know how to link reps together.
- Jumping Pull Ups - 3 x 10 To develop the strength and work capacity needed you must add this in to your training. It won't help with technique but it will develop strength levels than can be further challenged by using a lower box or even jumping from only one foot. Remember to drop your hips at the bottom and fully extend your arms.
- Week 1 - 2 x's week
- Week 2 - 3 x's week
- Week 3 & 4 - 4 x's week
- Kipping Swings = 390
- Band Assisted Kipping Pull Ups = 195
- Jumping Pull Ups = 390
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Pull Up Part II
Can you do that pull up yet? Well then let us dive a bit deeper into the next three areas to help with the king of upper body exercises. In our last post we went over # 1, 2, & 3. Then we introduced a video demonstrating a jumping pull up. It is the perfect way to get started doing pull ups today regardless of your strength level or experience.
- Hand size - No way to change this but if this is an issue you better nail down these other areas
- Grip strength - Improve griping and crushing strength for more pull ups
- Pain - It is going to hurt
5. Body weight - Get light and get fast. I recently lost 10 lbs since the New Year and performed a workout named "Nicole" ( see below) a 20 minute AMRAP of 400 m Runs and Max effort pull ups. I did 5 rounds and 67 pull ups. Without that fat loss I would have achieved 60% 0f those rounds and runs. Get your diet together and stop hauling around non contributing weight i.e. fat. I am a huge fan of Mark Sisson and The Primal Blueprint when it comes to lifestyle and Paleo (Caveman) eating.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Pull Up Part 1
- Hand size
- Grip strength
- Pain
- Systemic strength
- Body weight
- Equipment
- Technique
- Density
- Program Design
- Hand Size - This is overlooked in so many areas in training. In Olympic weightlifting their is a specific "ladies bar" that weighs 15 kg compared to the mens 20 kg bar. It is shorter and has a smaller bar diameter to accommodate for the smaller hand. Also used with youth aged athletes. Even basketball has a smaller ball for women. Most bars are similar in size but the advantage goes to the men in this area when it comes to making improvement. This leads us to point # 2
- Grip Strength - With the relative size difference of hand - to- bar women have to simply get better at their hand strength both in griping and crushing. But the same holds true for men. If you can't hang comfortably on the bar for 60 seconds without always worrying about your hands don't expect to knockout 20 pull ups anytime soon. Actually exerting high levels of force and doing kipping or butterfly style gives your hands a break momentarily on every rep. Also there is something to be said for hand toughness or skin thickness.
- Pain - Pull Ups hurt. Sometimes just for 30 seconds and sometimes for 24 hours after. Should you blister or rip a callous then you can expect a week or two to get full recovery. One of my favorite quotes "It's not about ignoring the pain but rather being more than the pain."
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Pirate Fit Athlete Wins OC Throwdown
Congratulations to Taylor Yaffee (18) for winning this years 2011 CrossFit OC Throwdown Intermediate Division event. In his first competition he showed that he had the balance of Strength, Fitness, and Skills. He was the favorite to win even before the finals with a commanding lead of 29 points. Showing his "never quit" attitude and poise throughout 6 workouts over 2 days we expect to see more great things from Taylor and the athletes of Pirate Fit.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Vegas, Baby!
- V - SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH PULL x 100
- E - SIT UPS x 75
- G - 1/2 PIRATE GET UP x 25 each
- A - AIR SQUATS x 100
- S, - DB SQUATS x 25
- B - PUSH UPS x 25
- A - AIR SQUATS x 100
- B - PUSH UPS x 25
- Y - DB CLEANS x 25
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Pirate Death Walk
- Get in 100 reps for time
- Get as many reps as possible unbroken stopping at 100 for time
Going to the Well
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
What Does It Take To Be Great?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Fatigue Makes A Coward Of Us All
Pirate Fit WOD January 10th, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Pirate Fit WOD January 7th, 2011
- Bench Press
- Deadlift
- Overhead Press
- Walking Lunges
- Barbell Bent Over Row
- Do one exercise until all sets are complete aka - Straight sets
- Rest no more than a minute in between sets
- Warm ups sets do not count towards total exercise or WOD tonnage
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Pirate Fit WOD January 6th, 2011
- 4 Rounds
- 30s rest between sets
- Done as a circuit
- Women 20 lbs
- Men 40 lbs
- Scale weight as needed
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Pirate Fit WOD January 5th, 2011
- 3 Rounds of 10 reps
- For Time
- Women DB 20 lbs KB 35 lbs
- Men DB 40 lbs KB 53lbs
- Scale weight as needed
- 3 Rounds of UNBROKEN sets.
- Rest 30s between exercises
- Add up total reps completed
- Women DB 20 lbs KB 35 lbs
- Men DB 40 lbs KB 53lbs
- Scale weight as needed
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Pirate Fit WOD January 4th, 2011
- 10 lbs
- 12.5 lbs
- 15 lbs
- 20 lbs - Prescribed (Rx)
- 25 lbs
- 30 lbs
- 35 lbs
- 40 lbs - Prescribed (Rx)