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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Yeah right. How many times have you read something that claims to be the “be all” and “end all” to a popular and important topic? It’s like Al Gore saying the discussion on climate change is over. Let the demagoguery begin.
When I ran for most of my fitness objectives, it was all about “LSD”, long slow distance to best improve your cardiovascular fitness and performance. Throw in an occasional fartlek session and you were good to go.
Fast forward to a few years ago, for me at least, I learned about “metcon”, or metabolic conditioning where now the hot ticket was interval training in it’s various forms including Tabatas. Crossfit advanced the metcon idea and generally dissed cardio in the form of running if it was over 10K in distance. Interestingly, they seem to be backing away from that now that they offer a “certification” in running.
Of course, cardiovascular training is more than an “either or proposition”. People who love running long distance would benefit greatly from various types of interval-style training and not just from running either. The metcon people could occasionally chill a bit and enjoy a long bike ride or a hike and still improve performance.
Joel Jamieson, of EndZone Athletics Training Performance Center balances out the two and in fact endorses volume over intensity in the beginning stages of developing work capacity. He doesn’t bash traditional cardio and asserts that interval training isn’t the whole enchilada either.
Like the variety of training that makes up a good GPP, there is room and great benefit from both main types of cardiovascular training and their variations. Read both Part 1 and Part 2 of Jamieson’s cardiovascular system training principles over at EliteFts. They are both good reads.
**UPDATE**
Lyle McDonald also has a similar, more detailed take in his “Interval Training Versus Steady State Cardio” Part 1.
Visit and subscribe to his blog or newsletter to get Part 2 and a wealth of additional diet and fitness research. McDonald has some pretty cool stuff there. Now go out for a run or bike ride and have fun!
Technorati Tags: metcon, LSD, intervals, fartlek, cardio
April 4th, 2008
Posted by
MarkFu |
General Fitness |
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Some of the best workout sessions are the ones that take the least amount of time to get through and tonight was a nice example of that. There wasn’t a lot of time tonight and I did not want to hit it too hard since I will be back in the “Box” tomorrow.
So, I didn’t go too hard nor took a lot of time, but what I did, I made count.
No warm-up, but went right into it:
3 rounds, 30-20-10 reps,
Overhead Squats, 65# and Ring Push-ups.
For finishers, I did,
Farmer’s Walk, 200# (2 x 100# dumbbells) 36′/52′/52′.
Zercher Slosh Pipe Carries, 2 x 100 yards.
In and out quickly yet got in a metcon workout and some heavy finishers. Nice!
February 1st, 2008
Posted by
MarkFu |
Training Log |
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While getting off to a slow start in my warm-ups, I finished totally smoked and salted in a metabolic maelstrom of Manmakers.
My buddy Mike handed me this workout he did from the Gym Jones site. Some workouts look easy on paper even if they are not. This did not even have the illusion of looking easy on paper.
21 Ring Dips
12 KB Swings, 24 kg.
6 Manmakers, 2×15 lb dumbbells with three overhead lunges to finish each.
15 Ring Dips
9 KB Swings
12 Manmakers
9 Ring Dips
6 KB Swings
18 Manmakers
Those last 18 Manmakers were as difficult mentally as they were physically. They were broken into mini sets of 2 and it was the overhead lunges that were killing.
If that weren’t enough (and it really was), after a rest I did 6 x 10 24 kg kettlebell snatches.
That concludes my toughest workout thus far, early in this new year. Manmakers are something to add to the toolbox. Cardio? I don’t need no stinking cardio. Not after a workout like this!
January 4th, 2008
Posted by
MarkFu |
Training Log |
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