First off, is there a more awkward title in sport than "The UFC on Versus 1?" Couldn't it be fight night 21.5 or something? Killing me.
anywho.. here goes..
Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara (aka that one Italian fighter) actually looked good taking out what appeared to be a statue of James Irvin made from beef jerky. I was a little surprised, but only because I've only seen Sakara fight Houston Alexander, Chris Leben, and Drew McFedries (ugly KO loss, KO loss, and KO loss) I don't know if Irvin can keep making this cut, but this loss does not bode well.
Cheick Kongo seems to have learned that wrestling and ground fighting are a necessity. It's only taken him 4 years in the UFC to figure that out.
Everybody's favorite doughy everyman fighter Paul Buentello just got outclassed. He didn't have enough pop to keep Kongo from just grabbing him and big brothering him to the ground. That fight was over, what's the point of getting beat on for another 4 minutes. Buentello is either going to have to upgrade his athleticism, drop to 205, or find another line of work.
Junior Dos Santos was very impressive in his fight on Versus. He finished the always tough Gabriel Gonzaga in the first, and more impressively managed to get back to his feet after being taken down. Getting out from under Napao Gonzaga is no small feat.
I am not a huge fan of Brando Vera, his gameplanning is terrible, and he needs to get stronger*, but he's a reasonable gatekeeper. Jones handled Vera on all fronts. He mitigated his clean muai thai, executed a couple slick throws, and broke Vera's cheekbone to boot.
* I am all for TRX training. I think it's a great conditioning tool. They have made Brandon Vera their MMA poster boy.. which is great, I'm all for fighters finding legit sponsors, but Vera needs to add some strength. He is consistently getting out-muscled in the clinch, and it's killing his career.
Joe Rogan being "heavily muscled" doesn't make you out of shape, neglecting your conditioning for strength training, and constantly muscling into takedowns or out of submissions does.
Rodney Wallace has one of the worst cases of "looks like Tarzan, fights like Jane" I have seen. Sloppy stand up, middling takedowns, but no base in guard are not going to keep you in the UFC. Your corner wasn't telling you anything, very clearly you are beyond the best guy in your camp, if you go to sherdog, you're the ONLY guy in your camp. Go someplace with fighters (good ones) train hard, get your but kicked. Earn your nickname (which is one of the best I've seen)
Jared Hamman needs to cut to 185. He did a fine job of neutralizing the athleticism of Wallace, but at the weigh-ins there were middle-weights that were visibly bigger than him. This is not a good thing.
The commissions should consider outlawing the heel hook. It is a submission that has a small margin of error, but if successful almost immediately damages the fighter to the point of needing surgery. In fact every successful heel hook that I can remember resulted in the losing fighter out for several months. This is not good business. Fighters having knee surgery are not making money, and the promoters are not making money off of them.
While we're talking heel hooks,The NJ state athletic commission suspended Rousimar Palhares for 90 days for applying a heel hook to Tomasz Drwal for about 5 seconds after the Drwal had submitted. Seems like something doesn't it, but a 90 day suspension is not much of a penalty for a fighter that lives outside the U.S. and generally fights about twice a year. Palhares is a great fighter, but that is ugly business and UFC needs to make a stand .
Another excellent, but terminally boring performance by Jon Fitch. Personally I find fights like that entertaining. Purely dominating the other fighter, keeping him out of his game and imposing your will.. but then again some people find me terminally boring.. so what do I know?
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Fabricio Camoes was easily the fight of the night. Rarely do two grapplers get into the cage and do what they do well, normally what happens is they stuff a couple takedowns each way, and it turns into the world's crappiest boxing match. This fight was very technical and high paced, with Pellegrino coming out on top.
Sorry Frank Mir, you can't put muscles on your chin. I have to say, I was heartened by the resurgent Frank, he seemed humbled, and he made things interesting: a BJJ guy in a sea of wrestlers. But I don't know what options he's got left.
Shane Carwin dwarfed, bullied and outmuscled Frank Mir, then Brock Lesner walked into the ring and dwarfed Carwin. It's going to be a heck of a scrap.
I knew it was a long-shot for a guy who got taken down by Marcus Davis to be able to keep vertical against GSP, but a puncher's chance is a puncher's chance. In the end Hardy had the striking of a Thai boxer, and the wrestling of an Englishman, and it proved his undoing. It will be interesting to see if there are any injury reports for Hardy after the two vicious Kimora's and the one arm-bar that should have submitted him.
If GSP beats Paul Daley I don't know who else there is.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
5 weeks.
The wife and I are 5 weeks out from the estimated arrival date of our progeny. This leaves me with a bit of a conundrum. How do I train? 5/3/1 is good/simple/fast, but I want to do more dynamic movements keep getting that clean and front squat up.. but that oly lifting cycle beat me up and I overtrained very quickly. So.. I think I'm going to combine the two.
Tuesdays: 5/3/1 military press and deadlift starting light light light.
Thursdays: hang clean and squat work up to 185 week 1: 1 set, week 2: 2 sets, week 3: 3 sets.. and 5/3/1 bench press.
accessory lifts for both days: Rows, chins.
Saturday afternoons: some light kb work or conditioning.
M-W-Sa(mornings): BJJ
Fridays: the usual Friday fun.
We'll see how that shakes out.. I might do this for 5 weeks, might do it for 2.. depends on when the turkey is done.. after that.. catch as catch can.
Mahalo.
Tuesdays: 5/3/1 military press and deadlift starting light light light.
Thursdays: hang clean and squat work up to 185 week 1: 1 set, week 2: 2 sets, week 3: 3 sets.. and 5/3/1 bench press.
accessory lifts for both days: Rows, chins.
Saturday afternoons: some light kb work or conditioning.
M-W-Sa(mornings): BJJ
Fridays: the usual Friday fun.
We'll see how that shakes out.. I might do this for 5 weeks, might do it for 2.. depends on when the turkey is done.. after that.. catch as catch can.
Mahalo.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Nag nag nag.
I have some nagging injuries that are bugging me (hip, neck, back), and I can't decide if I want to be aggressive and go after them, or train around them.. So the very common paralysis by over-analysis rears it's ugly head. This week is another jiu-jitsu only.. then.. stuff.
till then..
Mahalo.
till then..
Mahalo.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Birth and life and death.
Long weekend. Good times with friends for my birthday. The offspring hasn't come forth yet, but he's making his presence known for sure, and a death in my extended family.
Not someone I was particularly close to, but deeply effected other members of my family who were, and sad none the less.
It was a small microcosm of life. Celebration, joy and sadness (and a little coconut cake).
Frankly it was all kind of exhausting.
I'll post more later this week.
Mahalo.
Not someone I was particularly close to, but deeply effected other members of my family who were, and sad none the less.
It was a small microcosm of life. Celebration, joy and sadness (and a little coconut cake).
Frankly it was all kind of exhausting.
I'll post more later this week.
Mahalo.
Friday, March 19, 2010
35
I am 35 today. Seems weird to say. I don't feel that old.. or more correctly how old 35 looked on my parents. I have some aches and pains, but nothing that doesn't go away after a day or two off. So what's the difference? What does it mean to be 35? I can't really answer, because I don't really know. I'm just going to try and keep getting better and we'll see.
That said, I took most of this week off in the gym. I have a few aches and pains (hip capsule is cranky from all of the aggressive mobilization, and my back is just cranky) but I knew I couldn't take it easy at jiu-jitsu because one of the bigger guys at the school is prepping for Pan-Ams, so I've got to be able to get after him. So I took the week completely off from the gym. I have to say, it's been kind of nice. I'm feeling pretty good.
Mahalo.
That said, I took most of this week off in the gym. I have a few aches and pains (hip capsule is cranky from all of the aggressive mobilization, and my back is just cranky) but I knew I couldn't take it easy at jiu-jitsu because one of the bigger guys at the school is prepping for Pan-Ams, so I've got to be able to get after him. So I took the week completely off from the gym. I have to say, it's been kind of nice. I'm feeling pretty good.
Mahalo.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Irish proverbs for the fit paddy, or things my grandmother used to say, and how they apply to the gym.
Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit
For a laugh I decided that all of my facebook updates from the start of March till St. Pats would be old Irish proverbs. It struck me how many of them applied to fitness. I started scratching some notes and came up with this list:
You'll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind.
I am a nerd. The things I am interested in, I read every and any thing I can get my hands on. However, you never get the same level of understanding until you do the things you’re reading about. In fitness, there are thousands of training programs out there, and they all “work” to varying degrees, but the only way you know if they will work for you is if you give it an honest several weeks of consistent effort. Then look at the results, and tweak it from there. Don’t overanalyze. Get in and get some work done.
Two people see a thing that an individual does not see.
Training on your own is not ideal. Your body and mirrors can give you some feedback, but nowhere near what a good training partner or coach can give just by looking. The more information you can get on your technique and efforts, the better off you will be. Training partners, get some.
There's no need to fear the wind if your haystacks are tied down.
Heavy loads can be dangerous, but those dangers can be mitigated if you fix your movement patterns, imbalances, tissue quality and flexibility deficits. Take the time to correct your deficits before they become injuries.
There is no luck except where there is discipline.
That guy or gal at your gym that are completely shredded, the reason they look the way they do isn’t luck, or “good genes.” Even the most genetically gifted folks end up looking like crap by their late 20s if they don’t watch their diet, and train hard. Don’t believe me, just get on facebook and look up the cheerleaders from your high school days. Some of them still look good.. most don’t. Consistent effort and dietary discipline make the difference. They might have good genes too, but without hard work, you’d never notice.
It’s no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking.
More benching, more sit-ups, more curls are not going to get you ‘jakt’ if all you’re doing is benching, curling, and doing sit-ups. Squat, row, deadlift, and your mirror muscles will grow. Work on your weaknesses, and your strengths will be all the more impressive.
It is better to be a coward for a minute than dead the rest of your life.
That twinge in your back, that pinch in your shoulder.. listen to it. Pull the plug. Many surgeries were precipitated by a “twinge” that went ignored. Trust me.
It is a long road that has no turning.
There is a guy who goes to my gym. He’s been going there for 2-3 years, doing the same exercises, with the same weights, and he looks exactly the same. Change in stress leads to adaptation. Your body will get used to anything if repeated for years. Change your grip, add range of motion, reps, sets.. make small changes and you’ll get to your goals faster.
If you do not sow in the spring you will not reap in the autumn.
This is mainly for the athletes. Your off season is time to repair your body and improve your athleticism. It is not the time to play 3 hours of pick-up games and keep beating up your body getting weaker, slower, and more injured. Don’t worry about your skill level. Don’t worry about “getting out of shape.” If you get strong and athletic your skill and condition will be better applied. Being the fastest guy in the off season doesn’t matter if the other guy is faster on race day.
Food is a good workhorse.
This works two ways. Firstly, you can’t out train a bad diet. Fat loss, and hypertrophy are driven by diet. The new hotness training program won’t add an ounce of muscle if you don’t eat enough, conversely doing 26 complexes, crossfitting and running a marathon a day won’t trim you up if you’re eating donuts and Doritos. Secondly, Oaxacan frog eyelashes might be the best supplement ever, but if your diet sucks you won’t see the benefits no matter how much you take.
Even a small thorn causes festering.
Small injuries can cause big problems. In the 1937 all-star game St. Louis Cardinals great Dizzy Dean took a line drive in his plant foot that broke his big toe. No big deal, right? Broken toe? Well it’s no big deal if you let it heal correctly. Dean came back too soon, and the pain in his foot changed his pitching mechanics. His changed mechanics caused an arm injury that ended his career within a few years. From the best pitcher in baseball to retirement because of a broken toe. Deal with your small injuries.
A windy day is not a day for thatching.
You cannot train every day, you cannot train with maximal intensity for months at a time. You must rest, and you have to recognize those days when you just don’t have the gas, and go home. Rest, deload, listen to your body.
A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea.
Focus on what you have available to you. If your gym doesn’t have bumper plates, you’re going to be hard pressed to do heavy snatches. Reverse hypers are great for low back training, but if you don’t have one.. you can’t do them. If you have a barbell and some weight, you can get stronger. If you have some open space for body weight exercises and a track you can get in shape.
A trade not properly learned is an enemy.
Technique. Loads (even light ones) moved improperly are going to injure you. It’s just a matter of time. Get your technique right.
The future is not set, there is no fate but what we make for ourselves.
You may not be able to look like Brad Pitt or Jamie Eason, but you’ll never know till you get in shape. Train, learn, practice, be the best you can be. You can do far more than you think you can.
Sláinte is táinte!
For a laugh I decided that all of my facebook updates from the start of March till St. Pats would be old Irish proverbs. It struck me how many of them applied to fitness. I started scratching some notes and came up with this list:
You'll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind.
I am a nerd. The things I am interested in, I read every and any thing I can get my hands on. However, you never get the same level of understanding until you do the things you’re reading about. In fitness, there are thousands of training programs out there, and they all “work” to varying degrees, but the only way you know if they will work for you is if you give it an honest several weeks of consistent effort. Then look at the results, and tweak it from there. Don’t overanalyze. Get in and get some work done.
Two people see a thing that an individual does not see.
Training on your own is not ideal. Your body and mirrors can give you some feedback, but nowhere near what a good training partner or coach can give just by looking. The more information you can get on your technique and efforts, the better off you will be. Training partners, get some.
There's no need to fear the wind if your haystacks are tied down.
Heavy loads can be dangerous, but those dangers can be mitigated if you fix your movement patterns, imbalances, tissue quality and flexibility deficits. Take the time to correct your deficits before they become injuries.
There is no luck except where there is discipline.
That guy or gal at your gym that are completely shredded, the reason they look the way they do isn’t luck, or “good genes.” Even the most genetically gifted folks end up looking like crap by their late 20s if they don’t watch their diet, and train hard. Don’t believe me, just get on facebook and look up the cheerleaders from your high school days. Some of them still look good.. most don’t. Consistent effort and dietary discipline make the difference. They might have good genes too, but without hard work, you’d never notice.
It’s no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking.
More benching, more sit-ups, more curls are not going to get you ‘jakt’ if all you’re doing is benching, curling, and doing sit-ups. Squat, row, deadlift, and your mirror muscles will grow. Work on your weaknesses, and your strengths will be all the more impressive.
It is better to be a coward for a minute than dead the rest of your life.
That twinge in your back, that pinch in your shoulder.. listen to it. Pull the plug. Many surgeries were precipitated by a “twinge” that went ignored. Trust me.
It is a long road that has no turning.
There is a guy who goes to my gym. He’s been going there for 2-3 years, doing the same exercises, with the same weights, and he looks exactly the same. Change in stress leads to adaptation. Your body will get used to anything if repeated for years. Change your grip, add range of motion, reps, sets.. make small changes and you’ll get to your goals faster.
If you do not sow in the spring you will not reap in the autumn.
This is mainly for the athletes. Your off season is time to repair your body and improve your athleticism. It is not the time to play 3 hours of pick-up games and keep beating up your body getting weaker, slower, and more injured. Don’t worry about your skill level. Don’t worry about “getting out of shape.” If you get strong and athletic your skill and condition will be better applied. Being the fastest guy in the off season doesn’t matter if the other guy is faster on race day.
Food is a good workhorse.
This works two ways. Firstly, you can’t out train a bad diet. Fat loss, and hypertrophy are driven by diet. The new hotness training program won’t add an ounce of muscle if you don’t eat enough, conversely doing 26 complexes, crossfitting and running a marathon a day won’t trim you up if you’re eating donuts and Doritos. Secondly, Oaxacan frog eyelashes might be the best supplement ever, but if your diet sucks you won’t see the benefits no matter how much you take.
Even a small thorn causes festering.
Small injuries can cause big problems. In the 1937 all-star game St. Louis Cardinals great Dizzy Dean took a line drive in his plant foot that broke his big toe. No big deal, right? Broken toe? Well it’s no big deal if you let it heal correctly. Dean came back too soon, and the pain in his foot changed his pitching mechanics. His changed mechanics caused an arm injury that ended his career within a few years. From the best pitcher in baseball to retirement because of a broken toe. Deal with your small injuries.
A windy day is not a day for thatching.
You cannot train every day, you cannot train with maximal intensity for months at a time. You must rest, and you have to recognize those days when you just don’t have the gas, and go home. Rest, deload, listen to your body.
A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea.
Focus on what you have available to you. If your gym doesn’t have bumper plates, you’re going to be hard pressed to do heavy snatches. Reverse hypers are great for low back training, but if you don’t have one.. you can’t do them. If you have a barbell and some weight, you can get stronger. If you have some open space for body weight exercises and a track you can get in shape.
A trade not properly learned is an enemy.
Technique. Loads (even light ones) moved improperly are going to injure you. It’s just a matter of time. Get your technique right.
The future is not set, there is no fate but what we make for ourselves.
You may not be able to look like Brad Pitt or Jamie Eason, but you’ll never know till you get in shape. Train, learn, practice, be the best you can be. You can do far more than you think you can.
Sláinte is táinte!
Shepard's Pie.
Being the eve of St. Patrick, and since the wife and I disagree on which is the better St. Paddy's dinner. Tonight will be Shepard's Pie (my favorite) and tomorrow will be Corned beef (hers).
Shepard's Pie.
Start with 2-3 pounds of grass fed lamb/beef.. mostly lamb (either cubed, or coarsely ground). Browned in a skillet (glob of butter, pinch of salt).
Remove the meat, and brown: 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1-2 leeks all diced fine (more salt) in the remaining fat.
Put the meat back in, and add 1 can of Murphy's stout some dried rosemary, thyme, and 2 bay leaves. if you like garlic, it wouldn't hurt. If you like peas add some at the end (just before the top goes on). Just don't go putting tomatoes in... it's not right.
Stick in a 300 degree oven, and prepare your Colcannon: 2-3 boiled potatoes (skin on, off.. whatever suits you) 1 bunch of watercress leaves (or kale if you can't find it), butter, cream, salt to taste. add 1 egg to the colcannon and pull out the skillet with the meat and veg in it.
If the stew is too runny (it shouldn't be.. but it could) stir in 1 spoon full of the potatoes to thicken, ideally enough of the stout will have cooked out that it'll be pretty thick on it's own.
Carefully (the pan is hot.. it came from the oven, remember) spread the potatoes from the middle out to the edges. Put back in the oven and bake till the top starts to brown, and has some structure to it.
Eat it.
I should mention that you should never cook a dish like this in a non-stick skillet. They do not like the oven, and should never be used in slow stewing applications.. ever! So it's cast iron, ceramic (stove top safe) or bare metal pans only.
Tomorrow: "Irish proverbs for the fit paddy, or things my grandmother used to say, and how they apply to the gym."
Mahalo.
Shepard's Pie.
Start with 2-3 pounds of grass fed lamb/beef.. mostly lamb (either cubed, or coarsely ground). Browned in a skillet (glob of butter, pinch of salt).
Remove the meat, and brown: 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1-2 leeks all diced fine (more salt) in the remaining fat.
Put the meat back in, and add 1 can of Murphy's stout some dried rosemary, thyme, and 2 bay leaves. if you like garlic, it wouldn't hurt. If you like peas add some at the end (just before the top goes on). Just don't go putting tomatoes in... it's not right.
Stick in a 300 degree oven, and prepare your Colcannon: 2-3 boiled potatoes (skin on, off.. whatever suits you) 1 bunch of watercress leaves (or kale if you can't find it), butter, cream, salt to taste. add 1 egg to the colcannon and pull out the skillet with the meat and veg in it.
If the stew is too runny (it shouldn't be.. but it could) stir in 1 spoon full of the potatoes to thicken, ideally enough of the stout will have cooked out that it'll be pretty thick on it's own.
Carefully (the pan is hot.. it came from the oven, remember) spread the potatoes from the middle out to the edges. Put back in the oven and bake till the top starts to brown, and has some structure to it.
Eat it.
I should mention that you should never cook a dish like this in a non-stick skillet. They do not like the oven, and should never be used in slow stewing applications.. ever! So it's cast iron, ceramic (stove top safe) or bare metal pans only.
Tomorrow: "Irish proverbs for the fit paddy, or things my grandmother used to say, and how they apply to the gym."
Mahalo.
Monday, March 15, 2010
3 years 580 blog posts.
I started this blog 3 years ago (3/13/07). Mostly to stretch my vocabulary,to exercise my metaphors, to flex my literary muscles if you will. Also, to log my workouts and plot data points (I love data).
I've put nearly 100 lbs each on my bench and deadlift, I can do more chin ups, and am generally leaner and fitter at a lower bodyweight. I have better mobility, and am generally healthier than I was.
I've added the prowler, kettlebells, and ropes to my training. I've quit rowing and started jiu-jitsu.
I've met some great folks both in person and virtually (sometimes both.. sometimes in that order). I've had a great 3 years, and with luck will have more.
Friday's workout: 1 minute rounds.
zercher squats from dead stop at 185
Kb snatch
1 prowler loaded with 180 lbs. pushing in single bursts, plant your feet and shove the thing as hard as you can, walk up to the prowler, and repeat.
rest
x4
then 10 rounds of 5 prowler shoves. I like this exercise a lot. Very dynamic and simple. Far more fatiguing than the regular static push (which is saying something).
Saturday:
Class, run by Paul (most folks were at a tournament, but there were still 8 or so guys) The lesson of the day was Armbar from guard to sweep. Then open mat. Rolled with a guy (Dan) down from Victoria, BC. Had a good roll, he was a very nice guy. Might look him up when the wife and I go to Victoria next. Rolled with Gavin, and.. someone else. All in all a good day.
That afternoon I did a light workout. My hip has been bugging me, and my ankle was a little sore from defending an ankle lock that morning, so overhead squats were out. So I just did cleans to front squats (1:3) up to 90 kgs (198 lbs)
did some hip extensions and lots of stretching.
Sunday was off. Spent some time with the wife's family, and ate like crap. This week is going to be a little loose on the diet (Sunday with the wife's family, St. Pats on Wednesday, and birthday stuff all weekend).
Mahalo.
I've put nearly 100 lbs each on my bench and deadlift, I can do more chin ups, and am generally leaner and fitter at a lower bodyweight. I have better mobility, and am generally healthier than I was.
I've added the prowler, kettlebells, and ropes to my training. I've quit rowing and started jiu-jitsu.
I've met some great folks both in person and virtually (sometimes both.. sometimes in that order). I've had a great 3 years, and with luck will have more.
Friday's workout: 1 minute rounds.
zercher squats from dead stop at 185
Kb snatch
1 prowler loaded with 180 lbs. pushing in single bursts, plant your feet and shove the thing as hard as you can, walk up to the prowler, and repeat.
rest
x4
then 10 rounds of 5 prowler shoves. I like this exercise a lot. Very dynamic and simple. Far more fatiguing than the regular static push (which is saying something).
Saturday:
Class, run by Paul (most folks were at a tournament, but there were still 8 or so guys) The lesson of the day was Armbar from guard to sweep. Then open mat. Rolled with a guy (Dan) down from Victoria, BC. Had a good roll, he was a very nice guy. Might look him up when the wife and I go to Victoria next. Rolled with Gavin, and.. someone else. All in all a good day.
That afternoon I did a light workout. My hip has been bugging me, and my ankle was a little sore from defending an ankle lock that morning, so overhead squats were out. So I just did cleans to front squats (1:3) up to 90 kgs (198 lbs)
did some hip extensions and lots of stretching.
Sunday was off. Spent some time with the wife's family, and ate like crap. This week is going to be a little loose on the diet (Sunday with the wife's family, St. Pats on Wednesday, and birthday stuff all weekend).
Mahalo.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Un-sick.
Ok folks.. I write a little content, then go all Hollywood and disappear for the rest of the week. Sorry about that.
I've been busier than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest.
Lots of pre-baby stuff, and catching up on a lot of things that got shelved while I was sick.. but I'm back!
Stuff to read:
Got some more love from Tony Gentilecore. Completely unsolicited, and very flattering.
Very interesting bit from Dr. Jonny Bowden about the FDA. Lots of good information at his blog, you have to sift through a bit, but well worth the time.
Training for the week:
Monday: jiu-jitsu. Good smallish class. Worked on the simple sweep to arm-bar. Trained it 100 times, need to train it about 5000 more.
Tuesday: Clean to front squat (1:3) worked up to 185, and did 5 sets there. Did some cleans and jerks to work on technique. I am thinking of investing in some lifting shoes to help with my squatting (I need a little heel, so chucks are out, but running shoes are too pliable). Cleans from the hang are still better than from the floor.. just need more time and practice.
Wednesday: Jiu-jitsu, day class was small. Rolled with some newer guys really worked on using no effort. Just as Rickson said "Flow with the go." It was a good lesson.
Night class was good. Before class I had a great no-gi roll with Paul. Lots of movement and pressure, I think it helped that the Professor played "the boyz n tha hood" by NWA while we were rolling. During class I worked with one of the kids (really a kid, 12) on his arm-bar. It was kind of fun coaching. Then I talked to the professor about the wrestling 'switch' and it's use in jiu-jitsu.
Finally a good roll with B. I let myself get too tired, run out of gas.. I get cranky and my attitude is not right for "the gentle art." So I cut it short and went home.
Yesterday: Jerks off of a rack worked up to 185 did 5x2 there.
Bench/row: 185x9/85x10/10 x3
chins: some.
Feeling pretty good. Work capacity is back up.. and I'm going to be writing more content on here.. so keep your eyes open for that. God knows, if you have questions email me, or post to the comments and I'll get them answered.
Boyz (careful.. lyrics)
Mahalo.
I've been busier than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest.
Lots of pre-baby stuff, and catching up on a lot of things that got shelved while I was sick.. but I'm back!
Stuff to read:
Got some more love from Tony Gentilecore. Completely unsolicited, and very flattering.
Very interesting bit from Dr. Jonny Bowden about the FDA. Lots of good information at his blog, you have to sift through a bit, but well worth the time.
Training for the week:
Monday: jiu-jitsu. Good smallish class. Worked on the simple sweep to arm-bar. Trained it 100 times, need to train it about 5000 more.
Tuesday: Clean to front squat (1:3) worked up to 185, and did 5 sets there. Did some cleans and jerks to work on technique. I am thinking of investing in some lifting shoes to help with my squatting (I need a little heel, so chucks are out, but running shoes are too pliable). Cleans from the hang are still better than from the floor.. just need more time and practice.
Wednesday: Jiu-jitsu, day class was small. Rolled with some newer guys really worked on using no effort. Just as Rickson said "Flow with the go." It was a good lesson.
Night class was good. Before class I had a great no-gi roll with Paul. Lots of movement and pressure, I think it helped that the Professor played "the boyz n tha hood" by NWA while we were rolling. During class I worked with one of the kids (really a kid, 12) on his arm-bar. It was kind of fun coaching. Then I talked to the professor about the wrestling 'switch' and it's use in jiu-jitsu.
Finally a good roll with B. I let myself get too tired, run out of gas.. I get cranky and my attitude is not right for "the gentle art." So I cut it short and went home.
Yesterday: Jerks off of a rack worked up to 185 did 5x2 there.
Bench/row: 185x9/85x10/10 x3
chins: some.
Feeling pretty good. Work capacity is back up.. and I'm going to be writing more content on here.. so keep your eyes open for that. God knows, if you have questions email me, or post to the comments and I'll get them answered.
Boyz (careful.. lyrics)
Mahalo.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sorry, you don't have a choice.
The following is an excerpt from Dan John's "Dick Notmeyer glossery:"
The highlight of the first day for all aspiring lifters was when Dick would hand them a muscle magazine and tell them: “Just flip through these magazines and find the body you want and I will design a program for you to look like that.”
“How long?”
“Well, for a normal kid, a year, a year and a half. But, for you, maybe only six months.”
“Really?”
Yeah, really.
You might want to take note of the sarcasm there.. I'll wait.. got it? good.
Some people seem to think they can flip through “People,” pick out the physique they want, do the “right” combination of diet and exercise, and get that exact body. Sort of like taking pictures of a hair-style you want to the barber. This myth is the predominant selling point for yoga, pilates, running and Tracy Anderson. Unfortunately, it's just not true. We can no more choose what our bodies look like than we can choose our parents.
This is because much of one's appearance is related to structure. For example, I wil
l never look like Brad Pitt in fight club. Even if I got very lean and spent years focusing my training exclusively on that goal, it's just not possible.
If you look at this picture, Mr. Pitt has a long torso and a thin, wide ribcage. This gives his chest the appearance of width, and elongates and thins out his waist. I have a very short torso (a good friend of mine and I are the same height when seated, even though I'm 5-6" taller standing). Also I have a very thick, long ribcage which gives me a decided fire-plug look even when very lean. Ok, so no Brad Pitt abzzzzzz. What about his arms?
Let's look at the upper arm. Mr. Pitt's arms are fairly short. His elbow terminates 3-4" inches above his hip bones. This shorter humerus allows less muscle mass to appear thicker. My upper arms are very long, terminating just above my hip bones. Though (I'm pretty sure) I have more upper arm mass, my arms look thinner than Mr. Pitt. This is only accounting for skeletal issues, before we even discuss muscle bellies or attachments (I have very short muscle bellies in my biceps, Mr. Pitt has very long). Long muscle bellies appear more 'full' when relaxed. It doesn't matter how many curls I do, how much I bench press; that's just not what I'm going to look like.. which is fine. His thin wide ribcage means he's going to have a lot of trouble building traps/upper back and will really have difficulty getting the "yoked" look, that I really enjoy.
There are dozens of other factors that affect how different people appear even when they are at the same levels of fitness: injuries, previous training, response to different types of loading, along with bone length, attachments, and muscle belly length.
To put it another way: Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez and Andressa Soares are all in about the same fitness level. They all look decidedly different. There are some bodyfat differences, but they're not significant (nothing a decent fitness professional couldn't normalize in a few weeks).
So what exactly does this mean? Well, honestly it means that all of the hand-wringing about "getting bulky" or looking like Jessica Biel verses Jessica Alba is kind of pointless. Without drugs, or surgery, you'll look like you.. you can look like "in-shape you" or "out of shape you." You pick. Once you start looking like "in-shape you," you can start to add a bit of muscle, or lean out a bit more to try and work on any parts you want to de-emphasize, but until you get into shape, you're just making excuses why you don't want to do the hard work to get fit.
I was reading this survey by the very knowledgeable and observant Leigh Peele. I was shocked at what was considered "too big" or "bulky." Then I started looking more closely at who was giving their opinions: 34% of the women surveyed exercise twice a week or less. 79% don't lift weights.. they really don't know what their body can look like in shape. They have no perspective on what is condition, and what is genetic. Frankly, they're just sniping at celebrities. Which leads me to another
point. What looks appealing in 2 dimensions doesn't always look the same in 3-D. We all know someone in our lives that look great in photos, but their face is too angular, too severe they just don't look good in person.
The same phenomenon applies to bodies. Angular thin bodies look better on paper, or the movie screen, than they do in person.
Also, the scrutiny applied to people in those magazines to look a certain way, is not always applied equally in real life. The women I have worked with, are really happy when they see signs of functional muscle on their own bodies. Every woman (yes all) I have trained has come up to me before a training session with a big grin on her face and thrown up the double biceps and said "Look!" with a big smile. Totally enthused by evidence that they're "getting muscles." Those visible muscles are evidance that they are getting fit, and they get really excited about what they can do, and how that muscle looks. Which is why when a female client voices concern about becoming the "incredible bulk" before they start training, I always tell them "Let's get you into shape, and once you're fit, if you still feel like you've got too much muscle, we can strip you down a bit, but until then it's easier to get you fit and lean with muscle than it is without." No one has asked me to strip the muscle off of them once they've gotten there. Now maybe that is a function of me, or the people that I have trained (admittedly mostly athletes and former athletes) but I don't think so. Once people (women and men) get themselves in shape they focus more on what they can do. They have a positive attitude about their bodies, and all of the "too bulky, too thin, too fat" sniping goes away. They tend to have the attitude: "I feel good, I move well, I look good, I'm happy." Which is why people should exercise in the first place.
The highlight of the first day for all aspiring lifters was when Dick would hand them a muscle magazine and tell them: “Just flip through these magazines and find the body you want and I will design a program for you to look like that.”
“How long?”
“Well, for a normal kid, a year, a year and a half. But, for you, maybe only six months.”
“Really?”
Yeah, really.
You might want to take note of the sarcasm there.. I'll wait.. got it? good.
Some people seem to think they can flip through “People,” pick out the physique they want, do the “right” combination of diet and exercise, and get that exact body. Sort of like taking pictures of a hair-style you want to the barber. This myth is the predominant selling point for yoga, pilates, running and Tracy Anderson. Unfortunately, it's just not true. We can no more choose what our bodies look like than we can choose our parents.
This is because much of one's appearance is related to structure. For example, I wil
l never look like Brad Pitt in fight club. Even if I got very lean and spent years focusing my training exclusively on that goal, it's just not possible.If you look at this picture, Mr. Pitt has a long torso and a thin, wide ribcage. This gives his chest the appearance of width, and elongates and thins out his waist. I have a very short torso (a good friend of mine and I are the same height when seated, even though I'm 5-6" taller standing). Also I have a very thick, long ribcage which gives me a decided fire-plug look even when very lean. Ok, so no Brad Pitt abzzzzzz. What about his arms?
Let's look at the upper arm. Mr. Pitt's arms are fairly short. His elbow terminates 3-4" inches above his hip bones. This shorter humerus allows less muscle mass to appear thicker. My upper arms are very long, terminating just above my hip bones. Though (I'm pretty sure) I have more upper arm mass, my arms look thinner than Mr. Pitt. This is only accounting for skeletal issues, before we even discuss muscle bellies or attachments (I have very short muscle bellies in my biceps, Mr. Pitt has very long). Long muscle bellies appear more 'full' when relaxed. It doesn't matter how many curls I do, how much I bench press; that's just not what I'm going to look like.. which is fine. His thin wide ribcage means he's going to have a lot of trouble building traps/upper back and will really have difficulty getting the "yoked" look, that I really enjoy.
There are dozens of other factors that affect how different people appear even when they are at the same levels of fitness: injuries, previous training, response to different types of loading, along with bone length, attachments, and muscle belly length.
To put it another way: Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez and Andressa Soares are all in about the same fitness level. They all look decidedly different. There are some bodyfat differences, but they're not significant (nothing a decent fitness professional couldn't normalize in a few weeks).
So what exactly does this mean? Well, honestly it means that all of the hand-wringing about "getting bulky" or looking like Jessica Biel verses Jessica Alba is kind of pointless. Without drugs, or surgery, you'll look like you.. you can look like "in-shape you" or "out of shape you." You pick. Once you start looking like "in-shape you," you can start to add a bit of muscle, or lean out a bit more to try and work on any parts you want to de-emphasize, but until you get into shape, you're just making excuses why you don't want to do the hard work to get fit.
I was reading this survey by the very knowledgeable and observant Leigh Peele. I was shocked at what was considered "too big" or "bulky." Then I started looking more closely at who was giving their opinions: 34% of the women surveyed exercise twice a week or less. 79% don't lift weights.. they really don't know what their body can look like in shape. They have no perspective on what is condition, and what is genetic. Frankly, they're just sniping at celebrities. Which leads me to another
point. What looks appealing in 2 dimensions doesn't always look the same in 3-D. We all know someone in our lives that look great in photos, but their face is too angular, too severe they just don't look good in person.The same phenomenon applies to bodies. Angular thin bodies look better on paper, or the movie screen, than they do in person.
Also, the scrutiny applied to people in those magazines to look a certain way, is not always applied equally in real life. The women I have worked with, are really happy when they see signs of functional muscle on their own bodies. Every woman (yes all) I have trained has come up to me before a training session with a big grin on her face and thrown up the double biceps and said "Look!" with a big smile. Totally enthused by evidence that they're "getting muscles." Those visible muscles are evidance that they are getting fit, and they get really excited about what they can do, and how that muscle looks. Which is why when a female client voices concern about becoming the "incredible bulk" before they start training, I always tell them "Let's get you into shape, and once you're fit, if you still feel like you've got too much muscle, we can strip you down a bit, but until then it's easier to get you fit and lean with muscle than it is without." No one has asked me to strip the muscle off of them once they've gotten there. Now maybe that is a function of me, or the people that I have trained (admittedly mostly athletes and former athletes) but I don't think so. Once people (women and men) get themselves in shape they focus more on what they can do. They have a positive attitude about their bodies, and all of the "too bulky, too thin, too fat" sniping goes away. They tend to have the attitude: "I feel good, I move well, I look good, I'm happy." Which is why people should exercise in the first place.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
still sick.. ish.
Doubled up on jiu-jitsu training yesterday, probably a mistake. Felt sluggish and got handed my butt on a couple of occasions. Woke up feeling not as sick as Monday, but decidedly unwell. Resting today, then get after it tomorrow, then just some light squats and intervals on Saturday. I have to miss BJJ class because the wife and I have to go to baby school. More on that later.
Mahalo.
Mahalo.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
sick.
not feeling well the past few days.
nauseated, light headed, WTF.. did you get the license number of that truck.. kind of thing.
Friday training:
2 minutes each
prowler push at 180,230,280,330
battling ropes
rest
saturday:
class: small class rolled with 3 people
gym: 1 snatch/3 ohs
worked up to 95 did 3 sets my heels are still coming just off the ground. I'll have to keep focusing on dorsiflexion rom.
deads: 405 4x2 it's funny I did the first 2 sets in my frees and struggled mightily. took them off and pulled the last two sets like nothing. It's amazing how much difference there was. Makes me wonder how much people lose when they pull in big clunky running shoes.
No training Sunday or yesterday. Just lots of sleeping.
today I'm going to try and do today's workout, just drop the weights significantly.
UPDATE: Made it through most of the workout. Cut the volume in 1/2.
Clean and 3 squats:
worked up 185, 2 sets
Clean and jerk:
155 2 sets of 3
Good nuff for recovering.
Mahalo.
nauseated, light headed, WTF.. did you get the license number of that truck.. kind of thing.
Friday training:
2 minutes each
prowler push at 180,230,280,330
battling ropes
rest
saturday:
class: small class rolled with 3 people
gym: 1 snatch/3 ohs
worked up to 95 did 3 sets my heels are still coming just off the ground. I'll have to keep focusing on dorsiflexion rom.
deads: 405 4x2 it's funny I did the first 2 sets in my frees and struggled mightily. took them off and pulled the last two sets like nothing. It's amazing how much difference there was. Makes me wonder how much people lose when they pull in big clunky running shoes.
No training Sunday or yesterday. Just lots of sleeping.
today I'm going to try and do today's workout, just drop the weights significantly.
UPDATE: Made it through most of the workout. Cut the volume in 1/2.
Clean and 3 squats:
worked up 185, 2 sets
Clean and jerk:
155 2 sets of 3
Good nuff for recovering.
Mahalo.
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