Rest Day

Today I took off from all forms of exercise. I did mow the lawn, weed the yard and spend fours cleaning the gym where I train. Back at it tomorrow.

Have a Great Day!!

Workout Post

I was able to get into the gym early today and get back home. Still developing technique around the Olympic lifts and training the muscular mechanics to make them possible.

Warm-Up:
Row, 500m
Banded Shoulder Stretches
PVC Passthrough, 10 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 10 repetitions
GHD Back Extensions with PVC Overhead Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Banded Overhead Squat with PVC Pipe, 2 sets of 10 repetitions
Weight Training:
Banded Overhead Squat with Barbell, 5 sets of 10 repetitions
No Use of Feet Clean to Squat Muscle-Up, 5 sets of 3 repetitions
Barbell Clean to Squat, 5 sets of 2 repetitions
Trap Bar Deadlift, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!

The speech by Khizr Khan and the Workout

By far the moment that resonated the most from the Democratic National Convention last night was the speech by Khizr Khan. Khizr Khan is the father of Captain Humayun Khan, a Muslim-American Soldier killed in the War in Iraq. I guarantee Khizr Khan knows more about the Constitution of the United States than most of us... including Donald Trump!

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to warm-up.
Jumping Jack, 50 repetitions
Pistol Squat, 5 repetitions with each leg
Hand Release Push-Up, 10 repetitions
PVC Passthrough, 10 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 10 repetitions
V-Up, 10 repetitions
High Knees 
Butt Kicks
Couch Stretch, 30 seconds per side
Skill Training:
Barbell Clean Muscle Up, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Weight Training:
Deadlift, 5 sets of 2-3 repetitions
Front Squat with Five Second Pause at the Bottom (60 kg), 5 sets of 3 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

Barack and the Workout

I am going to miss Barack. I am not going to go into political views here.... there are opinions all over the map about this guy. One thing that I would challenge anyone to argue is the fact that President Obama has handled himself with a lot of grace, poise and dignity. I have been very proud to call him my President.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to warm-up.
Row, 250 meter 
Pistol Squat, 5 repetitions with each leg
Hand Release Push-Up, 10 repetitions
PVC Passthrough, 10 repetitions
V-Up, 10 repetitions
High Knees 
Butt Kicks
Handstand Hold, 30 seconds
2-3 Minutes to Stretch
Metabolic Conditioning: Perform each exercise in order to complete a round. Do as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.
Power Snatch (95#/65#), 5 repetitions
Pull-Up, 10 repetitions
Ball Slam, 15 repetitions
Rest, 3 minutes
Then 5 Rounds of each: 
Plank, one minute
GHD Back Extension, 10 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

Gabby Giffords and the Workout

I spent four and a half years of my life looking out the window of my office at the house where Gabby Giffords grew up in Tucson. I lived and voted in Gabby's former Congressional district. Gabby was one of the truly amazing, young, energetic and up and coming members of Congress when she was shot while meeting constituents. Tonight she came out on stage at the Democratic National Convention after years of recovery from that traumatic brain injury. Gabby has had to learn to walk and talk all over again.... watching her tonight was one of the saddest and most inspiring scenes I have ever witnessed.

Tonight, instead of being a pool of sweat balled up on the floor after my Olympic lift training session, I actually wrote down the workout.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a round. Three rounds total.
Row, 250 meters
Air Squat, 20 repetitions
GHD Back Extension with PVC Pipe Held in Back Squat Position, 10 repetitions
Row, 250 meters
Weight Training:
Clean Progression (Deadlift, Deadlift to Shrug, Ground to Clean Position), 5 sets of 5 repetitions with 40 kg and 50 kg
Barbell High Pull, 4 sets of 5 repetitions with 50 kg
Bar Clean Muscle Up, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Front Squat, 3 sets of 3 repetitions with 70 kg, 60 kg, 50 kg. Two repetitions down to tap a wall ball. Third repetition is held above the wall ball for a five second hold before finishing the set.
Behind the Neck Push Press, 3 sets of 5 repetitions with 40 kg. Hold at the top for a two count and then accentuate a slow eccentric motion pulling the elbows and shoulders back.

Have a Great Day!!

Michelle Killed It Last Night and the Workout

The Democratic Convention had its ups and downs last night but absolutely, Michelle Obama knocked it out of the park. Michelle's speech was heartfelt, warm and inspiring. Mrs. Obama has done an amazing job as a First Lady and there are certainly some huge shoes to fill come January 20th, 2017.... I am not sure if Melania or Bill can even come close.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete the warm-up.

Row, 250 meter

Pistol Squat, 5 repetitions per leg

Push-Up, 10 repetitions

Shoulder Pass-Through, 10 repetitions

V-Up, 10 repetitions

High Knee, 10 meters

Butt Kick, 10 meters

Weight Training:

Front Squat 90% of 1-RM, 5 sets of 2 repetitions

Metabolic Conditioning: As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

Squat Clean (115#/75#), 5 repetitions

Burpee, 7 repetitions

Push Press (115#/75#), 5 repetitions

Cool-Down:

200m Walk

Couch Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

Crazy Busy Exhausting Day

Today was very different than any other day.... but it was awesome! I worked today at the gym where I am employed as a personal trainer... I watched videos about harassment policies, ethical behavior, dealing with blood borne pathogens, etc. Not too exciting. at all. But, then I shadowed one of the trainers who was working with a woman who is a true inspiration. Since December she has lost 22 lbs. and continues to work hard and dedicate herself to her fitness. It was awesome.

After that I was able to come home and fuel up before my evening training session in Olympic lifts. Man, was I glad that I did. I was fortunate to find a great coach here that was willing to take on coaching me and teaching me to coach others in exchange for cleaning the gym for six hours a week. I would love to line out exactly what I did for the workout but it was a bit of a blur. I can tell you that I received so many great tips on proper bio-mechanics and postural corrections that my mind was blown. I will say that most of my evening was spent breaking down the snatch into small movements until I was doing the whole movement and wrapped up the night with a bunch of back squats. I will do a better job of listing the workout in the future. I will say that it was bad ass.

Have a Great Day!!

Rest Day from the Weights... Rowing and Mowing!

Today it will be a day of rowing and cutting grass. Next week will be a bit more hectic.... going to start training with Olympic lifts Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and going to do Crossfit on Tuesday and Thursday. During that time I will be training folks at the gym and continuing to study for my Sports Conditioning specialty certification. Whew.

Workout:
Timed 5000m Row
Core Work:
Medicine Ball Hold and Push, 30 seconds of exercise, 30 seconds of rest to complete a round. Five rounds total.
Seated V Medicine Ball Tap, 3 sets of 20 repetitions per side
Supine Medicine Ball Knee Pull-In, 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

Kaine and Pence.... and the Workout

I know that these two guys are politically polar opposites.... Folks don't get any more conservative than Mike Pence and Tim Kaine is a true, blue Democrat. There are a couple of things that they have in common.... both seem very polite, considerate and level-headed. I also feel really sorry for both of them: They are both on tickets with the most unpopular Presidential candidates of all time. I hope that they both have snorkels so that they can breathe as they are dragged through the mud between now and November!

Warm-Up:
Steady Pace Cardio, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
Strict Overhead Barbell Press, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Barbell Shrug, 5 sets of 4-8 repetitions
Axle Bar Skull Crusher, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Front Plate Raise, 5 sets of 15 repetitions
Triceps Cable Push-Down, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Cable Side Raise, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions per side
Triceps Dip Machine, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Cable High to Low Wood Chopper, 3 sets of 15 repetitions per side

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Workout Post

Warm-Up:
Steady Pace Row, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
Heavy Rack Pull, 5 sets of 3-5 repetitions
Weighted Wide Grip Pull-Up (Bodyweight +20lbs.), 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Barbell Good Morning, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Bent Over Dumbbell Row, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Ted is Already Running for 2020 and the Workout

Ted Cruz took a huge political risk last night, clearly aiming for the Presidency in 2020. In a speech at the Republican National Convention, Ted Cruz laid out conservative values and near the end, when given the chance to support and endorse Donald Trump, chose to tell voters to "vote their conscience for candidates up and down the ticket". Cruz was booed off the stage.

If Trump loses this election badly, Ted will be able to say, "See you should have voted for me!" But almost any other outcome is the end of Ted Cruz. If Trump wins, I think that he will crush Ted for his lack of loyalty. But the worst outcome for Ted Cruz will be a close victory by Hilary. First, the Democrats will hold the White House for four more years. Secondly and more importantly, if Cruz pulls votes away from Trump, Donald will have the built in excuse for the loss and the Republicans will blame Cruz. I guess, the only positive there for Ted will feed his narcissism: a giant "Screw You Trump" by keeping him out of the Oval Office.

Warm-Up:
Steady State Cardiorespiratory Training, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Preacher Curl, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Pec-Deck Machine, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
One Hand, High Cable Curl, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Decline Bench, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions per hand after each of the above sets
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a "Grate" Day!!

It Was Just a Matter of Time and Leg Day!

Pokémon Go-playing driver after hitting police car: ‘That’s what I get for playing this dumb ass game’.

Warm-Up:
Steady Pace Cardiorespiratory Training, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
GHD, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Leg Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Calf Raise, 5 sets of 15 repetitions
Leg Curl, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Leg Extension, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Abductor Machine, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Adductor Machine, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Hack Squat, 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Back Squat with Stall at the Bottom, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Being a Fake, Holy Plagiarized Speech and the Workout

I am no fan of Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton for that matter. I am a fan of people talking policy and stating their positions in specifics. For instance, I know that there will never be a wall built across the entire U.S./Mexican border. Yet, Trump continues to state that he will get the wall built and have Mexico pay for it, which fires up his constituents. Lacking from the statement are any specifics on how he will actually get this monumental feat done. Trump is a fake. Trump's policies are fake, his hair is fake and his tan is fake.

At the Republican Convention last night, Trump's wife Melania came out on stage and gave a truly inspirational speech. The problem is that large portions of that speech were also inspirational in 2008 when Michelle Obama said the same words?! I guess I should not be shocked by this in any way.

Warm-Up:
Cardiorespiratory Training, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
Seated Shoulder Press Machine, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Triceps Extension Machine, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Cable Side Raise, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions per side
Triceps Cable Push-Down, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Plate Loaded Jammer Machine, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Barbell Push Press, 5 sets of 2-5 repetitions
Close Grip Bench Press, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Work and Workout

I have started my employment at a gym as a personal trainer. I am not sure exactly how it is going to be working at a gym, but the one thing that has already been great has been the flexibility of setting my own schedule. The other thing that is helpful is the access to equipment that I just can't have in the garage gym, "The House of Pain". Woohooo!

Late Morning Weight Training:
Cable Lat Pull Down, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Low Cable Row, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Seated Plate Loaded Row Machine, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
T-Bar Row, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Evening Workout:
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total. No rest between exercises or sets.
Jumping Jack, 25 repetitions
Barbell Good Morning, 10 repetitions
AbMat Sit-Up, 20 repetitions
Weight Training:
Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-3 repetitions
Bent-Over Dumbbell Row, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Pendlay Row, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Upright Barbell Row, 5 sets of 4-8 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

More Cops Dead in Louisiana and the Workout

Three more cops dead in Louisiana and three more critically injured after showing up on a scene with a "suspicious person with an assault rifle" was reported.The Baton Rouge police have cracked down very hard on protesters that were demonstrating after the slaying of Alton Sterling earlier this month. Apparently someone felt that meant they could start killing cops...

This morning we took our pups on a hike over to Glen Falls on Lookout Mountain. We normally walk them for two miles a day along the road here at home, but on the weekends we try to get them out on one of the trails around here. The hardest part is trying to figure out which of the amazing places will you go to? On top of everything else we do for exercise, the love of our dogs gets us out to walk 14-16 miles a week!

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total. No rest between exercises or sets.

Hand Release Push-Up, 10 repetitions

AbMat Sit-Up, 25 repetitions

Weight Training:

Bench Press, 5 sets of 2-5 repetitions

Axle Bar Curl, 3 sets of 4-6 repetitions

Incline Dumbbell Chest Press, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Seated Dumbbell Curl, 3 sets of 4-6 repetitions

Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions with each hand between each of the above sets.

Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.

Flutter Kick

Lying Heel Touch

Lying Knee Pull-In

Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Chattanooga Strong, Day off from the Weights and Rowing

On July 16, 2015, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez fired on two military installations in the area around Chattanooga. Abdulazeez  did a drive by shooting at a strip mall that contained an armed forces career center, then traveled to a Navy Reserve center and shot that place up. Abdulazeez was finally killed by police after a firefight but not before four Marines were gunned down. A Sailor, a Marine recruiter, and a police officer were all wounded and the Sailor died from his gunshot wounds a couple of days later. After an extensive investigation, the FBI said that the shootings were motivated by "foreign terrorist organization propaganda."

One year later the community is still healing and it is hard to picture these things happening here. But then again, maybe we have to start getting used to it: We lived right near Gabrielle Giffords' home in Tucson and now we are living in the town where the Chattanooga Five were killed. The guy was armed to the teeth with an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, a 9mm handgun and had a Saiga-12 gauge shotgun in his car. Someone of course will argue that this isn't a gun problem.... interesting.

Workout:
Rowing HIIT, One minute warm-ip pace followed by :20 of maximum effort then :40 at 70-80%. One minute cool-down for 20 minutes total.

Have a Great Day!!

Canines and Yard Work!!

It was very nice today for the entire family to have the day off. The morning was spent by the humans doing yard work and by the canines running around like crazy creatures in the backyard!!

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a round. Three rounds total. No rest between exercises or rounds.
Jump Rope, 60 repetitions
24" Step-Up, 10 repetitions per leg
AbMat Sit-Up, 25 repetitions
Weight Training:
Back Squat, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Metabolic Conditioning: Perform each exercise in order to complete a round. 20 rounds for time.
Walking Lunges, 10 repetitions
Push-Up, 5 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Reflections on Finding a Job and the Workout

I have said, time and time again that I have been truly blessed with a life of jobs that I have absolutely loved. Not all of the work I have done has been glamorous or exciting (i.e. construction, sorting UPS packages...) but I have really enjoyed them either for the actual work (i.e. raft guiding, working various jobs for NOLS....) or for the camaraderie.

I have been looking for work in our new home of Chattanooga since we found out we were coming in March. Once again I have found opportunities for employment that it seems like I will really enjoy. Again, I recognize that I am very fortunate that way, a lot of people do not like their jobs at all. This was my first real job search in over 15 years and there are a lot of great things out there. There are a few things out there that are not so great as well. Here is what I found....

The Good:

• 1) The Search Engines out there for jobs are awesome! Indeed, Linkedin, heck even Craigslist all make it easy to find a job that you are looking for. I checked a slew of sites everyday looking for jobs. Patience and persistence is the key.
• 2) Filters are clutch. Though I liked looking at all the jobs that were available to me (i.e. "Managing a doughnut shop?! Awesome!") filtering out the ones that were not appropriate or had been posted for a while was very helpful. Otherwise the volume is overwhelming.
• 3) There seem to be jobs out there! I ended up sorting packages at UPS until a job that I really wanted came around. Taking a job while you look for your next career is okay. I actually really liked the people I got to work with at UPS even though it was a pretty brief stint.
• 4) Technology has made it so easy to take care of all of the paperwork, background checks, etc. once you are in the door at the new job. That saved me a ton of running around.

The Bad:

• 1) Job hunting has become very impersonal. Though I applied for dozens of jobs I was contacted by very few of the places that I applied to. Only two employers contacted me to say "Thank you for applying, we have chosen another applicant." I recognize that some places get inundated with applicants, but still.... a one sentence e-mail politely saying, "Thanks but no thanks" is all that I would really expect. I have no idea if anyone even looked at three quarters of the applications I turned in?! At times this was discouraging especially when I applied for a job where I thought I would be a strong candidate. Don't let this derail you!!
• 2) Reference Checks. I got a text from my last supervisor yesterday out of the blue. After catching up for a bit I asked a simple question since she was one of the references that I had listed on every application: "Has anyone contacted you regarding my references for any of the jobs I have applied for?" "Nope." Now, I recognize that there are times when people interview and meet a person and there is just that feeling that they would be a good employee and they do not feel they need to check references. I get that. If that is the case, do not make me fill out a reference check sheet?! And if it is not the case, check my references damn it! You may find out that I would be a great employee!!

That's all I've got for now I will keep you posted on how the new opportunities pan out.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise for one minute each to complete a round. Three rounds. No rest between rounds.
Heavy Rope Whip
PVC Passthrough
Weight Training:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Diamond Triceps Push-Up, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Seated Dumbbell Side Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Triceps Extension, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
One Hand Kettlebell Clean & Jerk, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Triceps Cable Pushdown, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Workout Post

Just a quick post of the daily workout.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute each to complete a round. Three rounds total. No rest between exercises or rounds.
24" Box Jump
Barbell Good Morning
AbMat Sit-Up
Weight Training:
Deadlift 70% of One Rep Max., 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Pendlay Row, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Pullover, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Upright Barbell Row, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Tim vs. Kobe and the Workout

Tim Duncan has retired and with him is retiring a class of athlete that is very rare these days. It is almost laughable when I compare the retirement of Kobe Bryant to that of Tim Duncan.

Kobe was an amazing athlete, a five time NBA champion with the Lakers and one of the best NBA players of all time, there is no denying that. But, at times Kobe was a world class ass as well. The farewell tour, the ridiculous two year $48.5 million contract when his skills were extremely diminished on a Lakers team that was laughable, the ego and the sexual assault charges that have somehow been forgotten from an incident in 2003 in Colorado.

Then we look at Tim Duncan: Rookie of the year his first year in the league, also a five time NBA champion with the Spurs, made the playoffs every year that he was on the team, took pay cuts and restructured his contract so the team could bring in new players to stay competitive, accepted his role on the team as he grew older and other players were more effective on the court, quietly announced his retirement and is not even going to be at the press conference.... only his stoic coach Gregg Popovich will be there to announce Tim's retirement?! Good luck in the future Mr. Duncan. I hope that there are some young people out there that have been paying attention about how to be a true professional athlete.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise for one minute each to complete a round. Three rounds total. No rest between exercises or rounds.
Jumping Jack
PVC Passthrough
Strength Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 2-10 rep
Metabolic Conditioning: Two person team for time. One athlete does chin-ups while the other athlete does push-ups. When ten chin-ups are complete the athletes switch. A round is complete each time 10 chin-ups are done, 10 rounds total. Time stops when all chin-ups are complete.
Strict, No Kip Chin-Up, 10 repetitions
Push-Up
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!

Marine Triple Amputee Finishes Spartan Race and the Workout

I am just going to post really quick but I just came across this.... unreal. When you think that whatever the day throws at you is hard.... play this video of Corporal Todd Love finishing a Spartan Race?!

Warm-Up:
Rowing HIIT: One minute warm-ip pace followed by :20 of maximum effort then :40 at 70-80%. One minute cool-down for 20 minutes total.
Weight Training:
Back Squat, 3 sets of 3-12 repetitions
Overhead Plate Lunge, 3 sets of 10 repetitions per side
Romanian Deadlift, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
25m Weighted Sled Push, 3 rounds
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Tomorrow is a Big Day and the Workout

Tomorrow is my first day working as a personal trainer here in Chattanooga. It is also the first day that I can start being a mentee as a strength and performance coach. Starting a new career at 46 years old is a little scary, but also pretty exciting. On Friday, I had a great meeting with a local coach who was willing to help me out. Besides working at a big corporate gym here, I am going to clean this guy's smaller training room twice a week. He is going to pay me a small amount for the cleaning, but I will also get free training from him and will be able to shadow him as he coaches athletes in Olympic lifts. In August I will participate in a USA Weightlifting Level One Sport Performance Coaching and then start coaching folks in his facility. I have spent a lot of the last 20 years mentoring others, we will see how the shoe fits on the other foot!

Warm-Up:
Ball Slam, Perform ball slams for one minute and then rest for one minute to complete a round. Three rounds total.
PVC Passthrough, 20 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 20 repetitions
Workout:
Strict Barbell Overhead Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Triceps Rope Chain Pull, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Front Plate Raise, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Triceps Dips, 3 sets of 25 repetitions
Side Dumbbell Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Super Set: Perform the next two exercises in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. Three sets total.
EZ Bar Skull Crusher, 10 repetitions
EZ Bar Close Grip Press, 15 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Rest Day!!

Today is a day of rest. Between working sorting packages, lifting, rowing. etc. the old bones could use a day to recover. Today will be dedicated to walking dogs, hydrating, eating good food and getting chores done around the house.

Have a Great Day!!

At Some Point the Craziness HAS to Stop and the Workout

Young black men being shot every day by cops for no good reason. Now in a place like Dallas where a police department is trying to make changes... a place where a peaceful protest by the Black Lives Matter movement was just wrapping up.... a place where the police respected the protesters last night and the protesters respected the police. And then some people unloaded on the cops. Described as snipers they shot eleven officers and five of those cops have died. There is not a lot of information but this we know is true: Once again some people not of their right mind were able to get a hold of a gun that has a capacity to kill or injure a lot of people.

Warm-Up:
Rowing HIIT: One minute warm-up pace followed by :20 of maximum effort then :40 at 70-80%. One minute cool-down for 20 minutes total.
Weight Training:
Farmer's Carry Handle Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-5 repetitions
Pendlay Row, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Rope Handle Pull-Up, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Upright Barbell Row, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Pullover, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Hopefully today will be a better day than yesterday.

Great Time Paddling, Ronaldo, LeBron,Venus and Federer and the Workout

I had a really nice time paddling with Chattanooga Therapeutic Recreation and their Team River Runner program. It was an hour and a half of paddling on the Tennessee River with local volunteers and veterans. I will definitely go out there and work with those folks again when life permits.

I am no fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James or Roger Federer. But, now that I am squarely middle aged I have to admit that I am very proud of all three of them. All three recently have been told that their sport has passed them by... respectively Gareth Bale, Steph Curry, and Novak Djokovic were the faces of the sport now... thank you very much for your effort over the years, None of them have gone quietly... LeBron has his championship and the other two on are the verge of theirs. And please, let us not leave out Venus Williams! Thirty six and she may end up facing Serena in the Wimbledon finals?! Awesome!

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute each to complete a round. Three rounds each. No rest between exercises or rounds.
Jumping Jack
Hand Release Push-Up
AbMat Sit-Up
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 2-5 repetitions
Barbell 21 Curl, 3 sets of 21 repetitions
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Strict Fat Bar Chin-Up, 3 sets of maximum repetitions
Parallette Push-Up, 5 sets of 15-20 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, one set of 15 repetitions per hand after each of the above sets.
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Team River Runner-Chattanooga and the Workout

Today is an exciting day. I will be working out earlier today for a couple of reasons. First, I need to try to get at it before the expected rains this afternoon. Secondly I am going down to Coolidge Park here in Chattanooga to meet up with folks from Team River Runner. From their website they describe their organization this way: "Team River Runner believes that every wounded and disabled veteran deserves the opportunity to embrace new challenges, invoke leadership, and promote camaraderie. Team River Runner provides an outlet to fulfill these beliefs – inviting wounded and disabled war veterans and their families to participate in adaptive paddling programs." Awesome! Apparently they meet every other Wednesday at 6pm down by the river for a flatwater paddle for an hour and a half on the Tennessee River. I will let you know how it goes!!

Warm-Up:
Rowing HIIT: Two minute warm-up followed by :30 of maximum effort then 1 minute at 70-80%. Two minute cool down for a total of 20 minutes.
Weight Training:
Front Squat, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Standing Weighted Calf Raise, 5 sets of 15 repetitions
Romanian Deadlift, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Weighted Lateral Lunge, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Air Squats, 3 sets of 30 repetitions. Perform the exercises every minute on the minute until all three sets are complete.
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Much Needed Rain and the Workout

We finally got some much needed rain today here in Chattanooga.... a good soaking all day rain. I am thankful for our trees, shrubs and grass but I cannot get my big honking tire out into the driveway so today is going to dumbbell focused down in the basement.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a round. No rest between exercises. Three rounds total.
Jumping Jack, 25 repetitions
PVC Passthrough, 20 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 20 repetitions
Weight Training:
Seated Dumbbell Press, 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Overhead Triceps Extension, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Seated Dumbbell Side Raise, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Diamond Push-Up, 5 sets of 20 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Another Day of Independence and the Workout

It is the 240th anniversary of the day when our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence! The signers collectively stated that they had had enough of the King of England and the policies that he set forth disrespecting the citizens of the colonies of North America. Those that signed the declaration stated the following: "... with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." They put it all on the line to try to live their lives as free men. And now, 240 years later, their vision continues to grow and evolve.... amazing.

Warm-Up:
Rowing HIIT: Two minute warm-up followed by :30 of maximum effort then 1 minute at 70-80% effort. Two minute cool down for a total of 20 minutes.
Weight Training:
Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-3 repetitions.
Super Set: Perform the next two exercises in order to complete a set, no rest between exercises. Three sets total.
SISU Warhammer Swing, 15 repetitions per side
Tire Flip
Atlas Stone Lift to 48" Platform, 5 sets of 1 repetitions
Cannonball Pull-Up, 5 sets of max repetitions
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Independence Day!!

RIP Elie Wiesel and the Active Rest Day

The year 2016 has to stop killing great people in this world. Before today there was Prince and Muhammad Ali and now Elie Wiesel. Wiesel, was known as a Romanian-born American Jewish Holocaust survivor, Nobel Laureate, writer, professor, and political activist. While imprisoned at Auschwitz his mother and sister were murdered. Wiesel and his father were deported to Buchenwald, where his father was beaten to death a few weeks before the camp was liberated. Wiesel felt that he was blessed to have survived and spent the rest of his life telling his story trying to prevent a tragedy like the Holocaust from ever happening again. R.I.P.

"When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity." - Elie Wiesel

Active Rest Day:
Rowing, 20 minutes

Have a Great Day!!

Great Day Off and the Workout

We all had the day off from work today so a lot happened. We started with a nice hike at Stringer's Ridge on the Hill City Trail to the Strut Trail. It was only three miles but lots of hills got the old dogs huffing and puffing. We ran around doing errands after that and got very tasty burgers at Slick's. We wrapped up the day with a great workout, some wonderful spicy pork chops with tomatillo salsa and then listened to the Nationals versus Reds on the radio. What a great day?!

Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 1-5 repetitions including a one rep maximum press
Axle Bar Curl, Pronated Grip, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Weighted Dip (+50lbs), 5 sets max repetitions
Fat Grip Strict Chin-Up, 5 sets 10 repetitions
Hand Release Push-Up, 5 sets of 30 repetitions
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

These Dogs Hate the 4th of July and the Workout

I am very excited for the long weekend after a week of early wake-ups to work at the UPS facility. I love the 4th of July. I especially like the reading of the Declaration of Independence on NPR stations on the holiday. The 4th of July is also my mother-in-law's birthday. The only thing that sucks about Independence Day as far as I am concerned is the fact that my two little Australian Cattle Dogs think all of the firework activity is incoming fire from some unseen enemy that is trying to take them out! As I was typing this, some early bird patriot set off a large device and both dogs came diving for cover in the bunker between the coffee table and sofa! Good luck boys.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order with no rest between exercises to complete a round. Three rounds total.
Jump Rope, 40 repetitions
Barbell Good Morning, 10 repetitions
AbMat Sit-Up, 25 repetitions
Weight Training:
Back Squat with Heavy Chains, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Standing Weighted Calf Raise, 5 sets of 15 repetitions
Barbell Good Morning, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
24" Box Jump, 5 sets of 10
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!