Functional Fitness Training

Class Recap - September 11, 2010

2010-09-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long layoff. I hope to post updates a lot more regularly from now on. Anyways, for a little over a month now the FFT members have been squatting and deadlifting once a week. The continual progression of everyone has been great and I'm excited to see where it goes. Just looking back to early August, it's remarkable to see how much progress has made with consistent use of the two best lifts for functional strength (in my opinion). I have many more thoughts to talk about when it comes to general training and fitness but for now I will keep this post to the progress that has been made in about the last 30 days.

Saturday was Deadlift day.

Since we started taking a more calculated approach towards squats and deadlifts, I began filming everyone's max effort set. I feel that watching yourself on video is one of the best ways make your form better. As a trainer, I can only say so much. Sometimes it takes you seeing yourself for things to "click". With that said, I apologize that the most recent set of video's aren't on this post. The blog host that I use isn't working properly. I will be switching to a new blog site in the coming weeks and from what I've heard, posting there is much easier.

For each session, we follow an outline that I learned from Martin Berkhan at Leangains.com. (Sorry for the lack of a hyperlink. I promise more sophisticated blogging in the future.) This calls for a couple of warm-up sets, one "top set", and one "cool down" set. Here is how the sequence goes:

Set 1: 60% of Top Set weight, 6 reps

Set 2: 80% of Top Set weight, 4 reps

Set 3: Top Set weight, as many reps as possible

Set 4: 90% of Top Set weight, Set 3 reps +1 if possible

Therefore an example would look something like this:

155-205-225*7-205*8

155 and 205 were the warm-up sets (reps of 6 and 4 are assumed). The Top Set weight of 225 was pulled 7 times and therefore the Cool Down set could be at the most 8 reps, which this lifter achieved.

For Deadlifts, we add weight at the next session if you can do 5 reps or more on your Top Set. Anything below 5, the weight stays the same. With all that said, here are some numbers that give me confidence that the program is working.

Ann

Back on August 1, this was Ann's deadlift line:

90-115-145*6-130*7

Yesterday September 11, this was Ann's deadlift line:

100-135-170*6-155*6

In a little over a month, Ann added 25 pounds to her deadlift while achieving the same amount of reps. Every week more weight is added and every week Ann continues to pull it. I'm curious to see how far we can go before Ann's progress starts to slow down. So far it has only been up.

Kerri

August 1:

130-170-200*5-180*6

Septemer 11:

135-180-225*5-205*6

Kerri also added 25 pounds while keeping her reps the same. The best part about Kerri's deadlift is her will to lift the weight even when she could have easily have stopped a couple of reps ago. She is allowed to do this because of how she roots herself in her heels and pulls with the proper form. Her shins and knees are proof of how the bar never gets out in front of her.

Matt

Matt doesn't have a before and after due to a broken finger he suffered in late July. While he had his finger splint on, we worked a lot of accessory lifts to keep the hips and hamstrings strong. With the splint off, Matt had a breakthrough with the deadlift yesterday. Until yesterday, Matt had never been able to execute a deadlift with acceptable form*. Then for whatever reason, Matt felt good about the deadlift and he hit his best deadlifts ever. It was very exciting as Matt has been working on this for awhile now.

Septemer 11:

135-180-225*8-205*9

*Safety is always the first priority. That is not a cliche during class. Make no mistake about it, you can hurt yourself doing heavy deadlifts and squats. Everyone has to show competence with every lift before intensity and weight is added.

Mark (me)

The last month has been a lot of fun for me. Since I started training people, my own training has been inconsistent at best. By working out with the class since the beginning of August, I have been able to train myself while at the same time coaching the rest of the class. That combination is pretty much the best of both worlds and I really appreciate the opportunity to do so. Anyways, I am very happy with my progress so far and I look forward to reaching my goals as I keep up with a workout schedule that I haven't had since training for high school football.

August 8:

255-340-425*5-380*6

September 11:

270-355-445*5-405*6

Combining the results of Kerri, Ann, and myself, we have been able to average a gain of 5 lbs per session. Time will only tell how long this pace will go on for, but the journey is certainly going to be fun.

I have a lot more to talk about in upcoming posts so stay tuned for that and to see how we all progress in the weeks to come.

Zone Diet - July 6 to August 21

2010-07-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

After talking it over this morning in class, FFT is going Zone starting on Tuesday July 6 (that gives everyone some time to get some meal ideas together while still celebrating the Fourth of July to it's fullest extent). Kerri, Ann, and I will be following block prescriptions with mostly Paleo food. I have 18 blocks to eat each day, Kerri 13, and Ann 12. Here is the link to the old standard: Issue 21 of the Crossfit Journal. On August 21 Kerri will be going for 2 consecutive kipping pull-ups, a goal she set for herself recently. That gives us about 7 weeks to see how things go. We are doing a more flexible zone and here are some of the tweaks as laid out on Robb Wolf's page:

Ever notice that it takes 2 cups of broccoli to make a block? Do you realize that means 8 cups of broccoli for a 4 block meal?!??! How about the greater than 50% of people who STILL get carb-head and insulin problems with the level of carbs recommended by the Zone?

1-shift upwards of 50% of the day’s carbs into the Post WO meal.

2-Delete carb blocks as needed and add 3 blocks of fat (1.5g of fat per block) to maintain caloric balance.

The details of these tweaks are laid out in Robb's Performance Menu article: 42 Ways to Skin the Zone

Training will still be the same, a mix of metcons (mostly short), skill work (the kip is quite appropriate here, as well as handstands), and Wendler 5/3/1 for the core strength movements.

Also, not to make Kerri feel alone on August 21, I'm going to throw my hat in the ring and go for a 500 lb. deadlift as my goal. The penalty for not achieving your goal is 100 burpees for time. Pretty good motivation if you ask me.

So for the next 7 weeks we will be tracking our meals, workouts, and body weight. Weighing myself this morning I came in at 211.4 with 17.9% body fat.

Please feel free to jump in and join us. I will be putting many more posts up and we will all be using comments on the posts, e-mails, and text messages to keep each other up to date on our food journals. I may even start using Twitter, who knows.

I hope you enjoy following along, it should be fun.

Paleolithic Solutions Seminar - April 10, 2010

2010-04-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hoboken, NJ

This was my second time seeing Robb present and I'm looking forward to going again sometime. Robb does a great job mixing the science with real world analogies that make this stuff easier to digest (pun intended). Robb's site is a great resource for all things fitness and nutrition related.

While it required leaving the house at 4:15 am and getting home after midnight (thanks for riding with me Victoria!), I would definitely do it again.

April 17, 2010

2010-04-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

"Warm-Up"
4 rounds of:

Butt Kicks, 30 secs

Power Squat, 30 secs

Knee Drive, 30 sec

Plank Hold, 30 sec

Crab Push-Ups, 30 secs

Rest, 30 secs

"Met-Con"

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

15 Plate/Medicine Ball Clean and Press

Overhead Lunge

Odd objects, no problem!

Simple movements are brutally effective. Good job guys, you worked hard but maintained proper form throughout.

"Functional movements...are natural, effective, and efficient locomotors of body and external objects. But no aspect of functional movements is more important than their capacity to move large loads over distances, and to do so quickly."

-Crossfit Journal Issue 56, April 2007 "Understanding CF"

April 14, 2010

2010-04-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

"Strength"

Squat 3-3-3-1-1-1

"Met-Con"

As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes of:

7 DB Swings

7 DB Push Press

7 Knee-Tuck/Toe-to-Bar

April 7, 2010

2010-04-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

"Warm-Up"

20 minutes of (at moderate intensity):

1 lap jog (work on Pose form)

10 Push-Ups

20 Air Squats

"Met-Con"

10 rounds for time of:

14 DB Swings

7 Wall-Ball Shots

Holiday Weekend Workout!

2010-04-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday - April 3

"Warm-Up"

4 rounds of:

Jog in place, 30 sec

Power Squat, 30 sec

Ski, 30 sec

Knee Drive, 30 sec

Level 1 Drill, 30 sec

Rest, 60 sec

"Strength"

3 rounds for max reps of:

Incline Bench

Push-Up

"Met-Con"

As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:

Run to Light Post and Back

DB Push Press, 15 reps

Air Squat, 15 reps

Good job keeping your Pose form!

Class Recap

2010-04-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, March 31

Warm-Up

2 rounds of:

Squats, 10-15 reps

Back Extension, 10-15 reps

GHD Sit-Up, 10-15 reps

Stretch and Power Clean form check

Strength

Power Clean 5x5

-The power clean is a tough one but the time invested will be well worth it.

Met-Con

As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:

Run 1/5 mile

15 Wall Ball Shots

5/10 Handstand Push-Ups/Handstand Hold (seconds)

Class Recap

2010-04-01T03:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday - March 28

Warm-Up

4 rounds of:

Butt Kicks, 30 sec

High Knees, 30 sec

Knee Drives, 30 sec

Plank Hold, 60 sec

Rest, 30 sec

-This got the group going and after everyone tied their shoes, we were good to go!

Stretch and Squat form check

Strength

Deadlift 3x3

-Everyone is getting better here, nothing like some good linear strength progression.

Met-Con

As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:

7 Push-Ups

14 Jumping Pull-Ups

21 Squats

Good job George! We hope to see you again.

Schedule and Class Recap

2010-03-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Schedule

Sunday 3/28 @ 9:00 am

Wednesday 3/31 @ 7:00 pm

Recap: Wednesday - March 24

Skill:

Handstands

Strength:

Front Squats

WOD:

Stations - work for 30 seconds and then immediately move onto next exercise

Total Time: 9 minutes

Exercises:

Hanging Knee Raises

Dumbbell Farmers Hold

Burpee Jumps

This workout looked simple but it ended up being pretty effective!

Catching Up

2009-12-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posts recently but riding a train on my way back from NYC leaves me with some extra time. I have some videos but I can't load them using my connect card. I'll throw them on here when I get connected to a LAN line.

By the way, class this week will be: Tuesday at 6:30 and Saturday at 9:00

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Workouts - 2 in one session to clear room for a big turkey dinner

Another Workout

Wednesday - November 11

2009-11-12T03:39:00.000-08:00

Skill Work:

Turkish Get-Ups

Strength:

Pull-Ups

Workout:

21-15-9 reps per round of:

Deadlift

Dumbbell Push Press

Great job everyone!

Deadlift #/Push Press #

Anne - 65/15

Kerri - 105/25

Matt - 185/35

Wednesday - November 4

2009-11-06T03:42:00.001-08:00

What a great class to get November started!

Welcome to Betsy who attended her first FFT class. Great job Betsy!!!

Skill 1: Introduction to the Overhead Squat, this would come in handy later on...

Skill 2: Introduction to Turkish Get-Ups, I love that skill. One of my favorites. Seriously, if you have shoulder problems, spend some time working on your TGU and you will get strong quickly. It was my choice for rehab when I dislocated my shoulder this spring, now I can do handstand push-ups again!

Workout:

3 rounds for time of:

Weighted Overhead Lunges

Dumbbell Swings, 15 reps

Push-Ups, 10 reps

I wasn't sure how effective this workout would be but I think it did it's job.

Afterwards we all cheered on Kerri as she tried out her new bands. Not too long of a video but you can see Kerri has been working on her kipping swing.

Great job again everyone. See you on Saturday!

Thanks,

Mark

Saturday - October 31

2009-10-31T13:32:00.001-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO KERRI ON HER FIRST DOUBLE-UNDER!!!

Skill: Jump Rope

Strength: Squat 5x5

Workout - As many rounds in 12 minutes of:

1 Gasser

7 Push-Ups

14 Wall-Ball Shots

"there is nothing to look forward to in this workout!"

-Kerri

FFT Class - Tuesday October 28 6:30 pm

2009-10-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

After warming up, everyone hit new personal records on the deadlift.

Deadlift 3-3-3-1-1-1

Victoria 175

Ann 105

Kerri 185

Matt 285

Phil 275

After deadlifts, it was time for a little met-con workout.

For time:

50 Thrusters (45/25 lb)

40 Double-Unders/120 Single-Unders

30 DB Swings (55/35 lb)

20 Barbell Overhead Lunges (10/leg)

10 Burpees

Great job everyone, you always work a little harder when the group is cheering you on!

FFT goes Paleo

2009-10-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

Starting yesterday, I went pretty much Paleo. I got the idea from Mathieu Lalonde with his post on Robb Wolfs site http://robbwolf.com/?p=782 So until Turkey Day I will be eating pretty close to what Mat eats and see how things go. I will be following www.crossfit.com WODs, I'm shooting for 4 to 5 days a week. I won't be weighing and measuring food for the most part. The only supplements I take are fish oil (3 tbsp. per day) and vitamin D (6,000 i.u. per day). I drink coffee but it's decaf and of course black.

Saturday - Day 1

Breakfast

3 eggs, hamburger, fish oil, vitamin D, 85% dark chocolate

Workout

"Helen"

3 rounds of:

400m Run

55 lb Dumbbell Swing, 21 reps

Pull-Up, 12 reps

Lunch

broiled flank steak, homemade guacamole, asparagus baked in olive oil

-Had to turn down a sample of Merlot from our favorite wine guy. That was tough.

Dinner

pan seared chicken thighs, one bell pepper, can of light coconut milk

You have to be kidding me...

2009-10-08T04:16:00.000-07:00

Below is an article that I came across while reading the Wall Street Journal this morning. It is a letter by the CEO of Coca-Cola basically saying that a tax on their products is not prudent because in his mind, America did not get fat on Coke but rather on a lack of exercise. While I agree that it would be great for everyone to be more active, me included as sitting behind a desk for 10 hours a day isn't ideal, I think it is very important to note how important your diet is. High fructose corn syrup is very bad stuff, an in depth discussion that topic requires a lesson in biology and a separate post by itself. One point that Mr. Kent failed to talk about is how the serving size of Coke has gone up from the old 8 oz. glass bottle to at least 12 oz. or 20 oz. if you're in a convenience store. Also, Coke and other soda's (I'll put Gatorade in this category too) have gone from being enjoyed as a treat (or recovery drink in Gatorade's case) to being consumed with every meal. So in essence what I am saying is that while Coke didn't make America fat by itself, it certainly didn't stop it. Keep in mind that a can of Coke and a can of Budweiser is metabolized by the body in the same way (check my recent post of 'Sugar The Bitter Truth'). In closing, keep working hard at the gym but remember that your true battles with disease/weight/strength starts in the kitchen. Think of nutrition/diet as your foundation because everything else is built on it. It is that important.

Coke Didn't Make America Fat

America needs more exercise, not another tax.

By MUHTAR KENT
Obesity is a complex issue, and addressing it is important for all Americans. We at the Coca-Cola company are committed to working with government and health organizations to implement effective solutions to address this problem.
But a number of public-health advocates have already come up with what they think is the solution: heavy taxes on some routine foods and beverages that they have decided are high in calories. The taxes, the advocates acknowledge, are intended to limit consumption of targeted foods and help you to accept the diet that they have determined is best.
In cities and states across America—and even at the federal level—this idea is getting increased attention despite its regressive nature and inherent illogic.
While it is true that since the 1970s Americans have increased their average caloric intake by 12%, they also have become more sedentary. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 2008 Chartbook, 39% of adults in the U.S. are not engaging in leisure physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 60% of Americans are not regularly active and 25% of Americans are not active at all. The average American spends the equivalent of 60 days a year in front of a television, according to a 2008 A.C. Nielsen study. This same research data show that the average time spent playing video games in the U.S. went up by 25% during the last four years.
If we're genuinely interested in curbing obesity, we need to take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that it's not just about calories in. It's also about calories out.
Our industry has become an easy target in this debate. Sugar-sweetened beverages have been singled out in spite of the fact that soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and sweetened bottled water combined contribute 5.5% of the calories in the average American diet, according to the National Cancer Institute. It's difficult to understand why the beverages we and others provide are being targeted as the primary cause of weight gain when 94.5% of caloric intake comes from other foods and beverages.
Those pushing for this tax lack some essential facts, not to mention some basic common sense. Over the past 20 years, the average caloric content of soft drinks has dropped by nearly 25%. This is due in large part to a determined focus by our company and others on the diet/light category with brands like Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero and Powerade Zero. Even soft drinks with sugar, like Coca-Cola, contain no more calories (140 calories in a can) than some common snacks, breakfast foods and most desserts served up daily in millions of American homes. And while obesity rates have skyrocketed, sales of regular soft drinks decreased by nearly 10% from 2000 to 2008, according to the industry publication Beverage Digest.
So where are all of the extra calories in the American diet coming from? Research from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that added sugars, as a percentage of total daily available calories, have declined 11% since 1970. Yet the percent of calories from added fats and flour/cereal products has increased 35% and 13%, respectively, during that same time period.
Will a soft drink tax change behavior? Two states currently have a tax on sodas—West Virginia and Arkansas—and they are among the states with the highest rates of obesity in the nation.
Obesity is a serious problem. We know that. And we agree that Americans need to be more active and take greater responsibility for their diets. But are soft drinks the cause? I would submit to you that they are no more so than some other products—and a lot less than many, many others.
As a leader in our industry, we have a role to play in solving this issue. Globally, we have led the industry for nearly 30 years with innovations across the diet and light beverage categories. Today, more than 25% of our global beverage portfolio is comprised of low- or no-calorie beverages.
Policy makers should stop spending their valuable time demonizing an industry that directly employs more than 220,000 people in the U.S., and through supporting industries, an additional three million. Instead, business and government should come together to help encourage greater physical activity and sensible eating and drinking, while allowing Americans to enjoy the simple pleasure of a Coca-Cola.
Mr. Kent is CEO of the Coca-Cola Company.

Weekly Schedule

2009-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Class will be held weekly on Wednesday's at 6:30 pm and on Saturday's at 9:00 am. Hopefully I'll see you there!

Thanks

Kelly Clarkson does Crossfit

2009-08-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

(People.com) -- Over the past few months, Kelly Clarkson's weight has been a hot topic for critical bloggers. But the outspoken singer -- who has said "Of course celebrities have cellulite!" -- doesn't let the body bullies get her down.

Singer Kelly Clarkson, performing in July, slammed her weight critics.

"When people talk about my weight, I'm like, 'You seem to have a problem with it; I don't. I'm fine!'," Clarkson, 27, told the September issue of Self.

She also noted, "My happy weight changes. Sometimes I eat more; sometimes I play more."

These days, the play part means golf ("I love it!") as well as Crossfit workouts. "It's like bootcamp!" she said of the regimen that includes sit-ups, squats and running. "You never work out more than 35 minutes, but it's so intense ... It makes me feel like G.I. Jane. It's very empowering. I feel like I can whup ass!"

Indeed, Clarkson's motivation for exercising isn't to lose weight.

"I do it totally for my psyche," she explained. "I'm much better when those endorphins are going. It's a release. And I also love food, so there's a payoff!"

The Texas native admitted she still eats chicken-fried steak, but also has days when she prefers salads.

"I love healthy stuff and junk an equal amount," she told the magazine. "Whatever I'm craving, I go for it."

Her secret to losing weight, in fact, is to not go on a diet: "For me, it's the times when I'm not paying attention that I end up losing weight. But I'm never trying to lose weight -- or gain it. I'm just being!"

Reminder

2009-08-07T07:52:00.001-07:00

Just reminding you that there is no class this weekend or next.

Class this upcoming week will probably be Monday night at 6:30. I will send out a confirmation e-mail on Sunday.

Have a great weekend!

Great Video

2009-08-07T07:47:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. Below is a very good video on sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup and Fructose in particular, and why it is not good for you in the quantities that we consume it in. Take the time to watch it even if you have to break it up, it's about 90 minutes long but it is well worth it. I've watched it twice already and the concepts were better understood the second time around. Enjoy!

Probable Schedule

2009-07-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

As the weeknight class will continue to float until the end of August due to softball games, I thought it would be good to post the probable class times for the upcoming weeks.

Week of July 19

Monday July 20 - 7:00 PM

Wednesday July 22 - 7:00 PM

Week of July 26

Wednesday July 29 - 7:00 PM

There will be class on Saturdays and Sundays at 8:00 AM as usual, along with Beginner's Class at 9:00 AM on Saturdays.

Thank You

Class Recap: Monday July 13 - 7:00 PM

2009-07-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Participant: Kerri

Skill: Ring Hold

Strength:

Front Squat 5x5

Shoulder Press 5x5

Workout:

3o seconds work, 30 seconds rest, 2 rounds for total reps of:

1. Squats

2. Push-Ups

3. Wall Ball

4. Superman Hold (every second counts as a rep)

5. DB Swing

6. Plank Hold

7. DB Overhead Lunge

8. V-Up

9. Barbell Push Press

10. Burpees

Class Recap: Sunday July 12 - 8:00 AM

2009-07-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Participants: Paula, Matt, Victoria

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps per round of:

Deadlift

Overhead DB Squat

Bench Step-Up

Push-Up

DB Swing

Nice job getting full hip extenstion on your deadlift Paula!

Matt making sure his grip doesn't fail him.

Victoria sitting back on her heels with an upright back during OH DB Squats. Good form!

Class Recap: Saturday July 11 - 8:00 AM

2009-07-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Participants: Phil, Vin, Ann

Skill: Ring Dip/Hold

5 rounds of:

Sprint from Building to Grass and Back

Front Squat, 10 reps

Class Recap: Wednesday July 8 - 8:00 AM

2009-07-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Participants: Phil, Victoria, Matt, Kerri, Ann

5 rounds of:

Sumo Deadlift High-Pull, 30 reps

Thruster, 15 reps

"That was the hardest workout I've done yet."

Sweat angels just don't show well on hardwood.

Class Recap: Sunday July 5 - 8:00 AM

2009-07-11T19:06:00.001-07:00

Participants: Matt, Phil, Amanda

Strength: Deadlift 3x3

Front Squat 2xFailure

Push Up 2xFailure

5 rounds of:

Sprint, 10 seconds

Rest, 50 seconds

Class Recap: Saturday July 4 - 8:00 AM

2009-07-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Class Participants: Paula, Victoria, Ann, Amanda

5 rds of:

10 Assisted Pull-Ups

20 Squat

30 Jump Rope Singles

Class Recap: Thursday July 2 - 7:00 PM

2009-07-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Class Participants: Victoria and Phil

All exercises done for 30 reps, 1 round. I heard it called the "Torturous Thirty"

Knee Tucks

Assisted Bank Pull-Ups

Bench Step-Ups

Push Press, 65#/30#

KB Swing, 30#/20#

KB Lunge, up and down court

Wall Ball, 15#/10#

Jump Rope, Doubles/Singles

Squat

Burpees

Class Recap: Wednesday July 1 - 7:00 PM

2009-07-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Class Participants: Matt, Kerri, Ann, Victoria, Paula, Phil

Skill Work: Sumo Deadlift High-Pull

Workout:

5 rounds of:

DB Swing, 10 reps

Push-Up, 10 reps

Class Recap: Sunday June 28 - 8:00 AM

2009-06-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Class Participants: Phil, Amanda, Victoria

Skill Work: Handstand and Single-Leg Squat

Workout

4 rounds of:

Handstand Hold, 7 seconds

Thruster, 10 reps

Push-Up, 5 reps

Phil pushing through 95 lb Thrusters!

Class Recap: Saturday June 27 - 8:00 AM

2009-06-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Class Participants: Kerri, Ann, Phil, John

Deadlift 5x5

Great job Ann!

3 rds, 10 reps each of:

Dumbbell Swing

Squat Jump

Tire Jump/Step-Up

Pull-Up

Class Recaps

2009-06-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Monday June 22 - 7:00 PM

Class Participants: Phil and Kerri S.

10, 9, 8...2, 1 reps per round of:

Thruster

Burpees

Wednesday June 24 - 7:00 PM

Class Participants: Kerri, Anne, Phil, Matt

For total reps, 1 min work/2 min rest of:

Deadlift

Pull-Up

Squat

Push-Up

Burpees

Class Recap: Sunday June 14 - 8:00 AM

2009-06-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Participants: Vin, Meredith, Matt, and Amanda

Strength Work: Introduction to Deadlift

-Great works guys, you pulled some serious weight on your first day of deadlifting!

Met-Con: 35 Burpees for Time

-Burpees are simple but never easy!

FFT Class this Week

2009-06-14T16:31:00.001-07:00

Monday 7:00 PM

Thursday 7:00 PM

Saturday 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM

Sunday 8:00 AM (Father's Day) - Please let me know if you want to have a class here.

See you soon!

Nutrition

2009-06-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

So I went to the Crossfit Nutrition Certification today and it was a blast! I learned a lot and it was good to have some of my thoughts on nutrition confirmed. There is much to go over and some of it's more important than other. Going forward every class will have some component of nutrition in it and I will start posting more stuff here. Nutrition is very important and without it, attaining your goals will be an uphill battle. By the way that's me and Robb Wolf, the nutrition guy for Crossfit.

Schedule Update

2009-05-11T06:22:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the late notice but there will not be class this weekend, May 16 and 17.

2009-04-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Great video, essentially this is a video representation of hitting the bullseye with your nutrition.

http://paynowlivelater.blogspot.com/

I Passed

2009-02-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

I passed my ACE Personal Trainer test yesterday and I couldn't be more excited. It will be interesting to see where this goes. After multiple people over the years told me that I should go get my certification, I finally took the time and signed up. Getting the books was one thing but actually setting a test date cemented my commitment. I'm looking forward to helping people achieve their goals as well as pushing them to do more than they ever thought they could. I will post here, at least weekly, on topics ranging from nutrition to strategies that help keep you on your program. Please feel free to comment and send me e-mails with your questions.

Introduction

2008-09-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

I follow a blended approach to fitness. Crossfit is one of my biggest influences and was what changed my view of pretty much everything related to health. It has been a little over two years since I was introduced to Crossfit (by my former boss) and man have I learned a lot since then. I started out like anyone else, lifting in the high school weight room in eigth grade to get ready for freshman football. It was in there that I built my foundation through many hours squatting, benching, presses, cleaning, and doing all of the other basic lifts. There weren't any fancy machines and only a couple of mirrors. It was connected to the locker room and was quick to get hot, humid, and generally pretty smelly. For about 4 years, I put in a lot of time at that gym and by the time I was going into senior year, I had put on a good amount of weight. We had a couple of great strength coaches who taught us (the football team) how to perform the lifts and gave us programs to follow. Things changed though when I got herniated my L4-5 disc in the summer between my junior and senior year. I was able to get past that and play in the season opener but it didn't take long (1 play in fact) before I was at the hospital. I completely dislocated my right shoulder tackling the running back on the first play after kickoff. I played the next game with a shoulder wrap but was pretty much ineffective. I took some time off and came back later in the season but really wasn't that good. After the season, I had arthoscopic surgery (rather than the full version) to be ready for baseball season. Baseball came and went, I don't remember being anything special. After high school, I went to earn my Bachelors and Masters in Management. During these years, I worked out off and on going from program to program. I pretty much just followed different routines out of a magazine or one's that I had used in high school. Nutrition was spotty at best. It wasn't until after my girlfriend (now fiance) bought me The Abs Diet book that I really started to get interested in nutrition. It was a great book to start out with. Even though I don't agree with all of it anymore, I do think it provides a great base for most people that are looking to improve their overall fitness. Anyways, since then my interest in nutrition and fitness has only grown. I started to question lifting and nutrition programs rather than just following them blindly. After I was introduced to Crossfit (www.crossfit.com) and read everything about it, I started to change my approach. Today I approach fitness from a somewhat different angle than most. I don't aspire to be as big as Mr. Olympia nor do I want to train with Lance Armstrong. I will get more detailed in posts to come but to keep it simple: I train and eat in the most functional and practical manner possible in an effort to attain sustainability while achieving great performance.