Earlier in my sales career the company would have monthly and annual sales contests for it’s sales people. There were two dominant strategies to win. The first was that of the front runner. Start strong, fast and never relinquish your lead, which was difficult over a 22 day sales month. The cagey veterans saved all their big stuff from their money customers until the last possible moment and then posted big sales numbers to take the lead away from the front runners. These were the “sandbaggers”. The front runners hated sandbagging because they claimed it was “unfair”. In the end, it was usually “scoreboard” for the sand baggers and it was they who left with the big prize.
I am sandbagging once again, but here the idea is not to hold back and for my first sandbagging workout, I let it go… literally.
I am not going to go on about how sandbagging is superior to other forms of training and go into the details of the tool. Like so many other things out in fitness land, somewhere there is a sand bag guru who has the Enlightened Path to Fitness Nirvana by way of the exalted sandbag. (Please, no sandbag certifications)! It is, however, yet another effective way to train, just not the only way and for me, another way to stay interested in the workout.
Maybe I have ADD, or just like some variety in my workouts which is why I have added sandbag training to kettlebells, Olympic lifting, powerlifting, Crossfit-style, metcon, running, bodyweight, hill climbing, skating, Highland Games and dog tossing to my personal fitness regimen.
My first session of sandbag training looked like this:
70# Sandbag Workout
Stair Climbs
•Zercher Carries: 3 x 3
•Over the Shoulder, L: 3 x 3
•Over the Shoulder, R: 3 x 3
•On the Back: 3 x 3
Back Squats: 3 x 10
Side Throws: 16
June 13th, 2008
Posted by
MarkFu |
Sandbag, Training Log |
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Pick out the dumbbells
The big business plan in the fitness world these days is certifications. Crossfit can get you certified three levels into their system and you can get “certified” in Olympic lifting in a weekend. (Never mind those lifts take years to master). You can get certified in basic barbell training, running, triathlons. Hell, even kids have their own certification. I predict soon there will be a “Masters Certification” for aging baby boomers with time on their hands and plenty of disposable income. (I mean after all, if there is a kid’s cert, why not us? Who do you think pays for the kid’s certification anyway.)
Dragondoor and Pavel have made a lucrative industry out of kettlebell certifications and Crossfit is getting in on that action too.
Ross Enamait, in a kettlebell thread at rosstraining.com tells us don’t expect to find “dumbbell certifications”, but I disagree. For just half the price of all the above “certs” (2 mints in 1), I could capture the entire market with my “dumbbell certification” and I can give participants a piece of paper that acknowledges them as a certifiable dumbbell too. I already have mine.
When did a “weekend training seminar” start being called a “certification” anyway? What about those people who paid their $1,000 and just can’t get the hang of swinging a kettlebell or running around the block on the balls of their feet? How about federal funding for a “No Fat Weekend Warrior Left Behind” program. No question, from a marketing standpoint, “certification” sells.
Ok, I better stop right here lest I sound like Rant at Moynihan Institute!
May 29th, 2008
Posted by
MarkFu |
General Fitness, Humor |
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Hey, when did Daylight Savings start so early in the year? That was a nice surprise to hear that on the news. I won’t lose any sleep over it, though. My workout today demanded I get a good night’s sleep so I can hit again hard tomorrow.
After some warm-up lifts specific to the Crossfit “Diane” WOD I set the bars up to blast through it. I did sub out overhead presses for the handstand push-ups, though. The deadlift bar was set at 225# and the pressing bar at 90#.
3 rounds of 21-15-9 in 6:19 was done in much less time than my previous “Diane” in September of last year. That one clocked in at 7:54. Big improvement.
After a rest I added some kettlebell work with a 20 kg:
Goblet Squats, 10/10/10/.
Two Hand Anyhow, also using a 25# dumbbell overhead: 10/10/10.
Snatch: 10/10, 10/10, 10/10.
Nice volume, too at 16,815 lbs for the session.
March 8th, 2008
Posted by
MarkFu |
Video |
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With the books closing on 2007, I don’t expect to be setting any PR’s but in that respect, I had a good year of increasing totals and lowering times, most notably in the deadlifts. More on that later.
I had injuries heal and got new ones to replace them. My right scapula is now good, but the left is kind of wobbly from overdoing sets of barbell snatches. I have tendonitis in the right elbow from either an errant kettlebell swing or a barbell clean that got too far away from me. I stayed pretty healthy with only a couple of bouts with allergens during the Santa Ana winds recently.
I found myself skating less, but swinging kettlebells more. In August, Val bought me my first KB, a 20 kg hunk of metal with a handle. Previously, I used a kettlebell only as part of a Crossfit WOD. Now I have four different weights and Val bought me instruction with a RKC trainer as a Christmas present and can do swings and snatches with the 24 kg kettlebell.
I have continued to mix up my workouts like the Crossfit programming model. Gone are the days of single activities such as speedskating, running and mountain bike riding, all of which I did largely at the exclusion of much of anything else, save an occasional trip to the gym.
Speaking of Crossfit, while I still enjoy doing their WODs and subscribe to their journal, I am no longer a “Kool-Aid drinker”. I never was someone who was attracted to cult-like organizations and their zealots, but I do continue to learn much about fitness from Crossfit.
My interest has steadily grown in powerlifting and Olympic style weightlifting and will get quality training wherever and whenever I can find it. I am even sticking my toe back in the water, so to speak with running, an activity I gave up years ago. I have no intention to ever be a big mileage guy, though.
I am enjoying the complexities of learning the Olympic lifts and I benefit greatly from the simplicity of bodyweight exercises I get from Ross Enamait of rosstraining.com and Crossfit. Mixing up workouts has been the best thing to happen to my physical training and I credit Crossfit for that and Crossfit Marina, with the Serranos as trainers and Brent O as a competitive foil for my sessions.
I have been more consistent in going to the gym than I have in many years and almost always look forward to my sessions there. I also like training at home or in a park. To that end, I have been buying useful fitness “toys” like Elite rings, fitness bands, weighted vest, weightlifting shoes, racing flats, jump ropes, chalk, a stopwatch, an Ab Mat and a kick butt ab roller from Lifeline. There are more things I will be getting in ‘08, but training at home is a now a viable alternative.
In ‘07, my diet largely went to crap and my weight crept up. That will change in 2008. ‘Nuff said about that.
I made some modest gains lifting over the year, and in all cases form has improved but much needs to improve in that area over the next year. At the beginning of the year I could clean 145 as a 1RM and the last time I tried, I was doing 175 lbs, but I am certain I can beat that right now. It will just have to wait! The Crossfit Total, (CFT) consisting of the best lifts in the squat, overhead press and deadlift was 760 lbs in January and is now 910, with the biggest increase coming with a 415 lb max deadlift, which increased by 75#. My overhead press increased by 25 lbs to 185 and my squat went up by 45#, a bit of a disappointment. My 5K run time at the beginning of the year sucked and stills sucks with no improvement to speak of at 28 minutes.
This year saw, what I believe were growth changes to the Barbarian Blog and I will continue to tweak it next year.
There were a lot of “Good times” in 2007 as Brent was fond of saying, (where have you been dude?) and more to come next year. Stay tuned.
Check below for a couple of workouts done this weekend…
Saturday:
Kind of an active rest day and ran around the block a couple of times which took all of 19 minutes for just under two miles.
Sunday:
Ran 2 x 800 meters
Sit-ups: 50/40/30
Push-ups: 50/40/30
Overhead Squats: 50/40/30
Back Extensions: 50/40/30
One arm Overhead Squats: 25# overhead, holding 53# with the other hanging arm x 12 and again x 20. 18/25#, 2 x 20.
Kettlebell Swings, 24 kg: 10/10/10/10/10
Kettlebell Snatches, 24 kg: 10/20/20
December 30th, 2007
Posted by
MarkFu |
Gym, Health, Life in General, Training Log |
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My favorite diet strategy while I train has been the Warrior Diet. In early 2006, I got started on the Warrior Diet and shortly thereafter, Crossfit. My body comp changed significantly and some health issues cleared up by eating the way Ori teaches.
This time of year, eating sweets is a problem. Ori has an audio clip that you may find to be helpful. There are additional resources and downloads here to help you learn the advantages of a better way of eating and living.
In a nutshell, (he also talks about peanuts). The three Warrior Diet principles are:
- Eat one main meal at night.
- Eat low on the food chain.
- Exercise while undereating.
December 15th, 2007
Posted by
MarkFu |
Health, Nutrition, People, Weblogs |
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One of the Crossfit “Girls”, Angie stopped by for a 22 minute visit. (It seemed so much longer)!
This is one of the benchmark WODS that focuses on cardiovascular bodyweight exercises and is relatively steady-state, with a pick up in activity at the start of the next exercise. That little burst doesn’t last long however.
Angie is done for time and is:
100 pull-ups, in my case, were band-assisted. These were the hardest.
100 push-ups, the easiest for me,
100 sit-ups, with an Ab-mat, and finally,
100 squats, which took the least amount of time.
Val did a scaled version and seemed to enjoy herself and did well. A nice way to end a cycle. Tomorrow should be a rest day. We’ll see.
December 13th, 2007
Posted by
MarkFu |
Training Log |
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2007 is right around the corner with all of it’s potential and possibilities. This past year had some milestones and successes I am happy about but this past year as the previous years back to 2000, the constant to my highlight reel has been the love of my life, Valerie. this year has been no different except that it does get better each year, even with the occasional bumps in the road. May she continue to bless my life and I hers in 2007.
Here are some other things notable in my ‘06:
•Discovered the Warrior Diet through Ori Hofmekler and lost over 30# and 3″ from my waist. I also cleared up a health issue at the same time.
•I got started in a new and different fitness routine that wasn’t even a routine, Crossfit, and got in what may be as good an overall condition as I have ever been in.
•Tied in with with Crossfit, I trained with Steve and Denise Serrano at Crossfit Marina and have benefitted mightily from their training and friendship. Also, Stephane Rochet and Mark Rippetoe have been very helpful as have dozens of other Crossfit people, some of whom I either met briefly or not at all in person but derived valuable help from. Then there is Brent Oakeson, who is the best training partner you can have. He inspires and pushes me with his strength and enthusiasm.
•My business partner and friend, Skip Hathaway, has been a great friend and teacher to me and I think I value his sage wisdom almost as much as he does!
•I lost a couple of long-time accounts in 2006 and my goal is to get at least one of them back in 2007.
•My friendships and relationships have been richly rewarding at best and others were still “smooth sailing”, but by the end of this year there has been a bit of drama from a few fronts. I hope none carry over into 2007.
•My “old” friends like Sean, Ciri, Terri, Alicia, George, John, to name but a few have been around his year but I miss Glenn & Gary. Where are you guys? Some “surprise” appearances have come from, Jim & Julie, Bill, Rene, Nancy, Stephanie and Lucia. I have developed some good business relationships and friends for whom I am thankful. But it is my family that I am most thankful for.
I wish all of you and those unintentionally omitted, a peace-filled prosperous New Year.
I am eager for 2007 to commence. Time to “Get some”!
December 29th, 2006
Posted by
MarkFu |
Life in General |
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Almost did not make it over to the House of Pain today, but I rallied and showed up just in time to do one of the famous benchmark WODs called Fight Gone Bad. Here is a description from the Crossfit HQ page of fun that followed:
Three rounds of:
Wall-ball, 20 pound ball, 10 ft target (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull, 75 pounds (Reps)
Box Jump, 20″ box (Reps)
Push-press, 75 pounds (Reps)
Row (Calories)
In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of “rotate”, the athletes must move to next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
Add your points. Here are my stats:
Wall Ball 16-18-19
Deadlift High Pull 26-19-17
Box Jump 26-25-23
Push Press 28-20-19
Row 12-11-11
Total: 290 (pr)
I am trying to improve my muscular endurance. For this one, I need more reps from the Push Press and the High Pull Sumo Deadlift. The box jumps were the best. I also need to get back on the 20# wall ball.
Other scores had Brent somehwere at an impressive 353 or so. Paresh, James and Ryne in Okinawa had 437, 418 and 357 respectively; all awesome scores.
December 20th, 2006
Posted by
MarkFu |
Training Log |
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As if we did not have enought Crossfit for a Saturday, most of us who did “Steve” this morning took a drive up to Valley Crossfit, which is run and hosted today by Michael Latch.
We had a great introduction to kettlbelsand clubbells. Brent set a couple of PR’s in the KBs and jumped a 42″ plyo box. steve joined in the fun with a 36″ jump. There was a lot of great instruction including a demonstration in some amazing rope jumpng.
As I have come to expect with Crossfit, we also met some really good people. Make sure you check out the photo album.
December 16th, 2006
Posted by
MarkFu |
Training Log |
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