The Average Man/Woman Challenge: Deadlift/Squat/MIle

I have been reading through Alex Viada excellent book "The Hybrid Athlete."  One of the challenges laid out by a Crossfit Gym in North Carolina was the ability to match your deadlift and your mile time.  So if you deadlift 500b you must run the mile in 5 min.

Women have a formula that I haven't been able to find.

This is a remarkable challenge.  I don't see myself ever training enough to do this.  As an ex sprinter, mile work seems NOT FUN.  One of my goals is better aerobic capacity, so I've been thinking more and more about this and investing some time in the ability to go from couch to mile in lets say 7:30.

I'm proposing the average man challenge.  I'm going to add my Deadlift and Squat to meet my Mile time .  So if you deadlift 400, Squat 300, you must run a 7 min mile.  I'm hoping this should give me enough training incentive to invest in squatting again and work at my running.

I'm not looking for this to take away from my primary goals, I just think it would be a fun little challenge  to work towards this winter.  If anyone has tried something like this let me know!

Hope you have a tremendous start to the New Years!

Thoughts About 2015 and Looking Towards 2016

It is probably quite normal to start evaluating life as the end of the year draws near.  This is probably going to be more of a very random thoughts post then structured article, but hopefully you find something to think about yourself.

There has been a lot of talk the past year about fixed mindsets vs growth mindsets.  It came to my thoughts after two brief encounters I had.  One, a young trainer that I'd seen only two times, always looked sad/defeated after each encounter.  I finally asked him about it.  He stated he felt like there was so much to learn after we talked (he got treated).  Instead of being filled with enthusiasm for new avenues to learn and grow, it was viewed with a defeatist attitude. Fixed mindset.  Second, an old boss told a patient I had, they he had taught me everything I knew.  This is now almost 8 years later.  That is believing that no growth has happened in 8 years.  Probably because no growth has happened on his part.  I think I've spent about 4-8 grand a year on continuing education.  I shoot for 10-15 hours a week of reading/studying.  Pre kids it was about 20.  So again, fixed mindset.

I hope I continue to have a growth mindset in the coming years.

I have two very young daughters.  I'm constantly thinking about what it means to be a good dad, how you want to raise them to be positive citizens and good people.  Positive self esteem is huge.   One day I thought about how I would want a man to treat them when they are older.  It struck me that how I treat my wife is probably the strongest contributor to what they will allow other guys to treat them.
Treat your wife how you would want another man to treat your daughter.  I think at times we are all guilty of treating random strangers better then we are at treating family.  But, it should not be that way.

My athletic/physical goals for 2016 are to build a bigger aerobic engine.  Improve my deadlift.  Put on some muscle mass (about 5 pounds).  Improve hip and thoracic spine mobility.  So each workout will be geared towards that stuff.  Have a template of what you want to accomplish with every training session.  

 I think leg strength should always be trained.  Lots of repetitions with my lower body leave me so sore that it usually means I train less.  I think my upper body feels better with repetitions then with heavy weight.  Heavy weights make my joints so sore in the upper body that I end up training less.  Know yourself.  I can't believe it took me so long to figure this out.

I took a chance and hired a coach this year.  I wrote a post awhile back on that.  It is worth mentioning that it has been a very positive experience.  So much so, that I am planning on bringing him to Grand Rapids, MI in April for a weekend seminar.  This is something new that I've never done before.

Keep your joints healthy.  Keep your muscle mass.  Stay aerobically fit.  Keep your brain healthy.  Keep your immunity strong.  These goals are what I believe you need to work at if you want to be 70 doing what you did at 30.  Maybe not as fast, but still enjoying the same hobbies as you did without a reduction in activity.

I did a lot more reading this year then writing.  I feel like I'm starting to shift and think I will probably be writing more in 2016.  I really got into the history of food this past summer.  Whole books that explore one food topic and how they influenced the world were a weird but enjoyable side topic for me.   Bananas, Six Drinks That Changed the World, Salt, Cod, Devil in the Cup, are a few off the top of my head that I remember.

A lot of concussion discussion this past year that will increase with the release of the movie.  I loved football more then anything.  The game gave me some amazing gifts.  Confidence.  The importance of team work.  Toughness.  Dealing with defeat.  Dealing with winning.  Hard work.  That hard work pays off and also that sometimes hard work just isn't enough.   Dealing with pressure.   So if I did have a son, if he wanted to play, I'd let him.  I put the CTE interest as another in a long line of things we are being lead to fear.  I think we fear the wrong things.  I'm admittedly biased though, so take it with a grain of salt.

This is 1/3 into my 39th year.  My goal on my birthday was to move better at 40 then I did at 30.  Coming off bobsled career,  I was fast and strong, but was only good for 5 seconds, my lower back was sore from no movement variability in my hips.  I think I'm on pace.  (Minus a problematic right elbow)Have some sort of check/test as this next year goes on to keep you accountable.

I put much less stock into eating clean/healthy all the time.  I think caloric manipulation is a big deal. I enjoy intermittent fasting as it does this naturally when followed.  I do believe the body was meant for feast or famine.

I think the only thing worth spending money on is time as time is the only thing worth money.  I don't mean this in a higher then though sense.  I mean I put more value on hanging at a coffee shop drinking amazing espresso reading an awesome book then buying a new t-shirt.  That is time well spent for me.  I'd rather work less/make less and spend time with my kid or go for a bike ride.  It came to my mind when looking for a Christmas present for my daughter.  They wanted 160 dollars for a certain item.  It seemed a bit much to me so I decided to make it myself.  After buying the supplies it came to about 60 dollars.  It took me about 4.5 hours to put together.  I figured it would have taken about 1/2 hour to put together bought online.  I traded 100 dollars for 4 hours.  I'm not the type of guy that gets pleasure out of building stuff or looking at something that I built with pride, so I got no value from that end.  In fact, it was 4 hours of dislike.  So in the end, I feel I made the wrong choice.

I received a Pressure Cooker for Christmas.  I think this will be a game changer for me and my family.  More premade/homemade meals and less eating out for 2016.

Getting on the floor and getting up off the floor is the most undervalued health/fitness activity.  Do several reps every day.  If it ever starts to get hard or uncomfortable, get a professional to help you figure out why, attack that issue, and continue to get down and up for the rest of your life.

I hope you look back on 2015 with a smile and can look back at enough "wins" to keep you motivated .  I know several patients/friends that are struggling with health which puts life in perspective very quickly.  With that in mind,  I hope 2016 brings improved health and continued growth.

LEVANTADORES - The Basque Strongman - A documentary film

This is a really amazing look into the Basque culture and history of the Strongman style stone lifting.  Really enjoyed this.

Coloring Books as Meditation

Meditation has been one of the hottest "trends" in the last 5 years.  I say trend a little sarcastically, because it has been around for literally thousands of years.  It wasn't until the last 5-10 years though that they are realizing the implications for brain health.  There has been a high interest into what is actually happening to the brain when you meditate.  With the use of fMRI and EMG we now know how much physical and mental health benefits can be achieved.

Brain grey matter is preserved.  Monkey brain, or wandering brain is decreases and this has been shown to increase happiness.  It has been shown to increase volume size.  (Bigger Brain!)  Increase concentration.  Reduce anxiety.  These are just a few known benefits.

Meditation or mindfulness can be achieved by many methods.  Some use breathing.  Some use music.
The latest trend we are seeing is the use of coloring books.  Seems a little odd until you really start to figure out what is happening.  Relaxation happens.  Creativity flow a little easier.  Here is an article that talks about this.  Coloring is the Best Alternative to Meditation.

A few psychologists are now saying coloring can be a strong alternative to meditation as some of the same things are happening.  So if you have found meditation hard, perhaps pick up a coloring book and go for it.

Here is picture I colored this week.

Random Likes, Thoughts and Notes.

Just some random thoughts and notes of things I've read or am thinking about.

Facebook saved function is awesome.  Actually easier then Evernote.  My Facebook feed is packed full of quality people that put out some pretty cool links to articles and videos.  The saved feature lets you go back and read all the ones you want to when you don't want to devote the time to read and take notes right then.

The app Split Screen is what I have been looking for.  It was 4.99 but well worth it.  I can take an article I'm reading on the web brower, hit the left screen and it goes left.  I can then keep my note taking on the right screen.  So both are open and able to go back and forth much easier while I read and take notes.

As we enter winter, 1000 IU of Vitamin D would be needed to raise your number 5mmol. Get it measured and keep it between 50-70.

I believe I may have figured out my question of why I felt so bad eating so clean and inversely why I felt so much better (joint wise) eating some "junk."

One carbohydrate is capable of carrying 2.7 grams of water.  Dehydration can definitely create more pain in joints.  I believe as I cleaned my diet up of all grains/processed foods, my hydration didn't really increase.  So by way of eating clean, I was actually dehydrating myself.  Can also explain some pretty quick loss of weight over 3-4 weeks.  Can also explain why I felt like I was going to pass out while mountain biking and getting light headed after heavy deadlifts.

This is going to be another experiment this winter.

Alga and Chlorophyll when examined in research is overrated as a superfood.  Save your money.

Something to think about for weight lifters, power lifters, cross fitters and anyone else trying to do a weighted movement with improper form/mobility.  You may not get hurt now but you know your not 100% great with it.  Would you hurt your brain now for Alzheimer's later?  Of course not, treat your joints the same.

Blind women are half as likely to get breast cancer.  This is suspected because they have higher melatonin levels.  Perhaps supplement with melatonin?

Tendon injuries are often associated with motor control changes.  Self paced strength training has been shown to help strength, but not motor control.  This would be down on 3, up on 3.  External paced, like the use of a metronome have been shown to alter motor control.

Coffee, time and time again , proves to be pretty healthy for you.  Liver more healthy, less type 2 diabetes and less Alzheimer's.

Being grateful has more and more powerful brain magic.  Even when you don't think you have anything to be grateful for, the act of trying to remember shows emotional intelligence and has positive impact on your biology.  Be grateful.

Defining Your Definition of Better Training

"Did you get better today?"

It's a simple question.  The answer can say a lot about your training.  In the scope of your training, your definition of why becomes utmost important.  Because to answer the first question, you must first ask yourself a more important question.  

"Why are you training?"

When the Why is your outline you can fill in with smart programming your how and when.  

Your why has to be very important to you.  I was reading through a very informative article on how our brains are wired.  One of the more interesting facts was how our brain views things like exercise. If you hate something, for example, getting up in the morning to go for a run, because you think you should, doesn't elicit the same health benefits as someone that loves the morning and loves running.  

Essentially, to the brain, your "I have to" isn't a voluntary action any longer.  You don't get the same pleasure neurotransmitters release.  It's just another stress.  It's the reason finding the why must be examined and then back filled in with ways that are both enjoyable and goal centered.  

If your goal is weight loss and you hate running, but this is your method you have chosen,  chances are this isn't a habit that will probably stick.  Make sure weight loss is your real goal.  Often, when I ask why weight loss to clients, they just want to feel better.  Sometimes this comes from weight loss, sometimes not.  Not feeling well can come from many varied reasons, not just weight loss.  Getting there can be just as varied in the methods.   Find a method you enjoy.  I personally dislike long distance running, but really enjoy jumping rope and rucking.  

My training goals are to have better feeling joints.  I hired a coach to help me attempt to get my elbows better.   I like having a 2x bodyweight deadlift.  That is really not that much when comparing to anyone that actually lifts to compete in any strength pursuit, but for me, that is just fine.  I want to be in good enough cardio to ride my bike for enjoyment and not be tired.  We have awesome mountain bike trails in West Michigan.  

One of my favorite (almost all) are just to think up workouts and then do them.  They usually have a theme to them that can tie back into my big picture goals.  This in itself is a goal.  To be healthy an fit enough to do what I dream of doing.  

Some days its 20 prowler pushes on the minute.  Some days its just punching the heavy bag paired with ring pull ups.  These are also the most enjoyable to me.  Think of something and go do it.  These are probably also producing the most pleasurable neurotransmitter release.  

So did I get better today.  By the definition of my goals, I did some things to work on my elbow and hip health.  So yes.  I did a bunch of pull ups at the park with my kid, followed by lunge position depth drops.  Just something I was playing around with.  So yea...I got better today.  

Will this type of unstructured training lead to anything big.  No.  But, you must understand that isn't the goal currently.  When you define your training, you can define your method.  Always know you are on the right path if you can answer the question with a yes.

"Did I get better today?"

Everyone Needs a Coach at Some Point

I first heard of the name Will Chung on a podcast from Blue Collar Podcast.   It was a very interesting talk about movement, training and seemingly figuring out injuries that others had failed to do.  He had quite an interesting background through martial arts, sport and training.  Over the next few weeks I started to notice his name in the background of other Facebook friends that he was helping and training.  He's been called the "shadow of the fitness industry" because he knows so many people in fitness and health and has helped quite a few "big names."

It was almost like when you are interested in a certain car and almost magically you start to see that car on the road.  Not that it wasn't there before, but now your conscious is aware of it.  That's the experience I had.

Frustrated with my lack of improvement in an old elbow injury, I figured I would reach out to him.  A friend said he had helped greatly with his own elbow injury.  We talked for a bit through Facebook and after thinking about it for about a month, (I'm a bit slow in things) I decided to schedule a Skype consult.  Never had done this type of thing.   Honestly I've never hired a coach.  Coaching is so undervalued in any profession.

I can remember reading this article a few years ago and realizing the importance a coach can make.  Personal Best:  Top Performers and Athletes have Coaches, Should You?  I've watched patients make great strides when they get on a program.

You have to come with a bit of humble pie.  An open cup as the saying goes.  Perhaps, it took me a few years from the article till now for me to empty my cup enough and just say, my knowledge up this point doesn't have the answer.  I need to seek a coach.

I'm glad I finally made it to that point.  Through the first few sessions I'm starting to feel improvements.  It's not magic.  It's work on my part.  Every day and night.  I work the drills.  The magic is in the subtle vectors that have eluded me.  This is where the "Chung Fu" comes into play. Yea, I've done this stretch, this exercise before.  Oh wait, a slight change in foot position, a slight twist of the shoulder, and it becomes what is exactly needed and completely new and unique to me.

As a chiropractor, manipulating a joint isn't about power or force.  It's slight angles and vectors and velocity.  The same with exercise.

Some concepts I've really embraced through this training/coaching.  When you get done with an exercise you should feel like a better human being.  If you get done doing an exercise and feel worse. Something is wrong.  Several of my patients are already getting some of the benefits from some Chung Fu drills.

Will has a pretty crazy ability to hone in on muscle imbalance and really exploit it.  It's been a great learning process so far and I'm really excited I took the leap and hired a coach.  This is for anyone sitting on the fence to hire a coach or go that seminar because you think you can figure it out yourself.      Keep learning, stay a student, find the gaps in your program that only outside help can see.